/30 Apr 2009

Okhaldunga FM fully licensed for broadcasting

Aafno FM is “official” now! It recently passed its government inspection so it is fully licensed for broadcasting. Sean MacKenzie, Feba’s Development Director for South Asia says: “Now the real work begins.”

“The main focus of the station is to become the heart of the community,” Sean says. The Aafno FM (My FM) station (located in the rural town of Okhaldunga in eastern Nepal) primarily broadcasts programmes about health and nutrition since they are working closely with the local hospital and the health authority. The programme presenters also play popular music and cover issues in agriculture, parenting, relationships and much more. The station hopes to become a central resource so the community will turn to them when they are looking for information or for help in personal and community development.

Listener response is very encouraging. They have received letters from a range of people: government workers, teachers, students, parents.

Letter from a female high school student:
“I wish everyone to listen to this radio from every part of our district so that people will benefit by this radio.”

Letter from a male student:
“Thank you to Aafno FM. We never dreamed to have a radio station in this district, but now that we hear our radio station, it is like we are dreaming - but it is real.”

Aafno FM staff endeavors to air programmes daily for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening. However, chronic shortages in electricity militate against this, so they are usually on for about an hour at present. They are looking to install solar power panels to solve the problem.

The CoRIN (Community Radio Initiative in Nepal) project coordinator Vijay is preparing more in-depth training for staff on advanced programme production, audience relations and financial accountability to help them develop into mature broadcasters managing self-sustaining operations. The programme producers were initially trained in basic community radio skills in May 2008 in Kathmandu. This year’s training will be conducted at their local station in the midst of their regular on-air duties.

Take a look at pictures of the Okhaldunga radio station site, slideshow

Read more about the CoRIN project:

Prayer Points

  • Pray for adequate fuel and power supplies in Okhaldunga to power the generator enough to charge the batteries to keep the programmes on air each day. Pray that the solar panels can resolve some of the electricity shortage.
  • Pray for the upcoming training workshop at the station this summer that Vijay can smoothly make the arrangements.
  • Pray for the producers to be creative as they develop programmes and interview people in the community that they can begin building good relationships.
  • Pray for Sean and Sarah MacKenzie who recently returned to the UK for a brief visit with family and supporting churches before heading on to a time of deputation meetings in Canada and South Africa through the summer.