Patna, 4 April, 2018 :Lohiya Swachh Bihar Abhiyan (LSBA), Department of Rural Development, GoB, with support from UNICEF organized a Workshop with Radio Jockeys/ content creators on the theme of `Chalo Champaran — Satyagrah to Swacchhagrah’ in Patna.

This interactive workshop brought together creative radio professionals from private FM, community radio stations and government broadcasters, in Bihar, along with a few popular RJ’s from Delhi.

The workshop helped in enhancing their understanding on the `Chalo Champaran Stayagrah se Swachhagrah’ and `Open Defecation Free Bihar’ initiatives. It co-opted their support to the campaign by encouraging sharing of ideas/ suggestions and engaging radio content to mobilize people’s support to Bihar’s efforts to get the village people to stop the centuries old practice of defecation in fields..

Around 50 participants some 15 radio stations such as All India Radio, Patna and Purnia stations, representatives from FM channels like Red FM, Radio City and Radio Mirchi and community radio representatives from Radio Koshi, Radio Active, Radio Snehi, Dehati Awaz, Radio Rimjhim 90.4 and Radio Mayur 90.8. Some media students from Patna Women’s College, Amity School of Communication, Patna University, and CUSB participated with their teachers.
Ms. Nipurh Gupta, Communication specialist, UNICEF anchored the workshop and called upon the radio fraternity to join in the ongoing ‘chalo champaran’ initiative as radio ‘swachagrahis’ following the footsteps of Champaran satyagrahis to make the state open defecation free.
Ms. Mahua Roy Choudhury,Project Coordinator, Communication and Governance, JEEVIKA, said that the focus of the sanitation campaign under Lohiya Swachh Bihar Abhiyan (LSBA), behavior change for achieving open defecation free Bihar and not merely toilet construction. ‘Radio is the best platform to make villages clean and beautiful as radio has a tremendous reach among the village populace’ was her key message. She urged the workshop participants to participate and contribute in the campaign to make Bihar a’ better place’ to live in.

Ms. Sonia Sarkar, Communication Officer, UNICEF, India shared about the Radio4 Child platform which recognizes the contribution of radio working on the issues that impact the lives of the children. She shared that open defecation poses a serious threat to the lives of children. Radio4Child would recognize the best initiatives aired on sanitation.

Mr. Pravin More, WASH Specialist, UNICEF spoke about swachhagrah as an important opportunity to contribute in his or her own way to the ongoing ‘chalo champaran’ campaign.

Rahul Makin, Fever 104FMdemonstrated how each and every listener can join the movement and make their neighbourhoods ODF. Community radio participants creatively combined the strong inter-linkage between stunting and poor sanitation

Working in small groups the participants created a number of jingles which highlighted that the women are the worst affected due to lack of sanitation facilities. UNICEF officials said that children should be made stakeholders in the sanitation social movement. Keeping the children at the heart of the efforts to spread awareness on ODF will give them pride of ownership as they reap the benefits of a clean environment. Radio jockeys and ‘well known’ voices on air such as Rahul Makin and Simran were present there for brainstorming session.

  Bihar, sanitation, unicef