Via a situation analysis and listeners' survey, Radio Namaskar learned of a "massive dropout of school students especially girl students." To address this problem, Radio Namaskar started a new radio programme that included the participation of 72 listeners' groups. They produced a jingle and broadcast it to motivate parents to send their children to school. In the first month, the response was poor and not encouraging. Subsequently, Radio Namaskar announced a dedicated mobile number; the response of listeners started growing each day, but it was one-way communication. (Respondents were informing the station about the dropout students of their locality).

 

Subsequently, software was integrated with the radio programme through which a listener can ring anytime to the dedicated mobile number (9040904904) and can share her/his view. Through this software and a GSM gateway (a device that reduces costs when calling from a fixed telephone line to GSM network), when any listener rings the mobile number, an automatic voice command goes to the dialler with the request to provide information about dropout students in their village/locality.

 

Throughout this process, the initiative took shape of a interactive, two-way communication campaign; Radio Namaskar started broadcasting a radio programme package of 30 minutes twice a week. Listeners informed the station about dropout students from their mobile phones to the dedicated mobile number (through call and SMS - text messaging). The recorded and SMS information were broadcast through Radio Namaskar in special episodes. Furthermore, live teleconferences were conducted with listeners, local schoolteachers/headmasters, school authorities, local Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) representatives, and school management committee members/leaders. When the dropout student/s returned to school, SMS messages giving thanks were dispatched to all the mobile numbers in the database of Radio Namaskar. "The reason is to spread the good news with other listeners and citizens on the impact of a phone call/SMS which gives life (education is life) to a child."

Children, Education.

Radio Namaskar says that all the dropout students in 165 schools in 4 blocks (Gop, Nimapara, Astarang and Kakatpur blocks) of 15 villages in Puri District returned to school, and so these villages were declared as ZERO DROPOUT SCHOOL by the local administration. "In impact of this campaign, dropout students of other 150 schools of this locality also returned to school. It has been reported by the local authority of Education Dept."

 

Lessons learned:

• This project "involves the participation of the community to a great extent especially the listening community of Radio Namaskar Community Radio. There are 72 listeners groups that aided the project. The project is decentralized in nature and has wide space of community participation, inputs, response, feedback and engagement."
• A project like this "is about hyper locality (serving local community in dedicated manner) that needs scalability."
• "The project has scope and relevance in partnership with other localized zones."
• "Partnership with government departments like education will be a value addition and help in scalability."
• "There should be incorporation of offline follow-ups. Community ownership needs to be moderated."