Children being trained to produce

PATNA: They do not carry the aura of tech-savvy children of metro cities. But these children from hinterlands of Bihar are on the way to achieve
something, which would be first of its kind in India.

A group of 35 children from Patna, Gaya, Lakhisarai and Samstipur districts are being trained these days to produce radio programmes. The goal is to set up community radio stations at the aforesaid places by the end of next year which would be run by these very children.

A joint initiative of Azad Bachpan, a social organisation working for the cause of children, and Panos South Asia, an organisation of radio journalists of South Asian countries, the training includes things like news gathering, conducting interviews, script writing, editing, voice over, song and drama. Technical skills required for running a radio show too have been imparted to the trainee children.

Selection of children, most of whom come from poor families, was done after weighing the trainees on various parameters like writing skills, oration etc.

Four trainers have been invited from Tamil Nadu and Delhi who specialise in things related to production of radio programmes.

"We intend to broadcast programmes which not only address the issues concerning children's lives, but also produced by people of the same age group so that the programmes connect well with the target group," Azad Bachpan founder chairman Ajay K Singh told TOI.

He said that radio still being the main source of information for over two-third of rural population in Bihar, the radio programme was likely to be successful in terms of reaching the target audience, majority of whom are still not aware of the issues concerning children.

To begin with, the selected children would produce radio programmes which would be aired using the All India Radio platform. "We have already booked a weekly slot and the first radio show is likely to be broadcast in June this year," Singh said and added that about 120 episodes of the programme would be broadcast.

"Our programmes would help in sensitising people about children's rights," said Baby, a trainee from Patna. Shivam of Lakhisarai is interested in producing a programme on Aids awareness, particularly among the adolescent ones. "These children have exhibited extraordinary interest in learning the tricks of producing radio programmes," Singh said.

Source: Times of Iindia