KALYANI -benedictions from the goddess

"Are there any takers of development programs/news?"
This has been THE favourite counter argument of most of the media professionals i have come across, whenever the issue of limited coverage of development news was raised before them. each time going back to the demand and supply concept {that the media supplies what we demand} they hushed the overenthusiastic DU students,though, knowing the fact that supply creates its own demand.

For example: Kalyani, a joint initiative of The Development Communication Division, Doordarshan and the Union ministry of heath and family welfare, is a health series launched in the nine most populous states of india in 2002. Since then it has been focussing on malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, iodine deficiency, tobacco related and water borne diseases, leprosy, blindness control and food safety. a need based, participatory and entertaining program, kalyani has been the longest running development programme with about 3500 episodes.

When conceptualized, it was aimed at changing behaviour and facilitating social action regarding the major health issues in india. and over the past few years it has been successful in doing the same. in several districts of states where kalyani is telecasted, groups of women, inspired by the programme have undertaken the task of tackling illness and diseases in their villages. forming kalyani clubs they carry forward and implement kalyani's messages on health.

So far, 300 clubs, each with a membership of at least 25 women, have been formed in the 16 districts of Chhattisgarh.In 2006, four years after the club was started,in kunra village of raipur district in chattisgarh, the number of cases of diarrhea and malaria have declined. And more children are brought in for polio and other vaccinations regularly.

sunita vishwakarma, president of raveli village of durg district adopted the novel tactic of printing health messages on the cover of ration cards.As all the members of the club in her district use ration cards,it is a simple and effective way of getting all the members of a family to see the messages. also having heard that their district had the highest prevalence of HIV, they took an initiative to stop the people of the village from following the traditional practice of tattooing. though it took several months but they managed to spread awareness without creating a stigma.

kalyani clubs have also been effectively ensuring that special care is given to pregnant women and lactating mothers. as a result their has been a decline in the maternal and infant mortality rate across the state.

All the clubs have at least one community health worker ensuring their credibility.

Bhasin, head of the development communication division of 'Doordarshan', says the objective of forming Kalyani clubs was to give a platform to women, particularly those who had never stepped out of their homes, to participate in the process of development.Today, over 10,000 women are using the Kalyani club platform to anchor change in the state.

A mere development program,with a relatively better packaging,telecasted on a state run channel has been able to bring about such a drastic and dynamic change in hundreds of districts. this sure highlights the power of media. with power comes responsibility. for once if the non government channels think beyond the TRPs, and use their stockpiles of innovative ideas to bring about a social change, they will surely find the takers for it.