Vanya Radio Chicholi @ 90.4 FM

Contact Person: Mr. J.S. Tomar

Broadcasting Language: Gondi & Hindi 

Genesis: Vanya Radio Chicholi 90.4 FM was set up on 10th May 2012 by the Vanya Tribal Welfare Department. The Vanya Radio, Chicholi is situated in the midst of a tribal community that lacks facilities for proper education and is not aware of various social problems. The idea behind setting up the community radio station was to improve the education, knowledge and social awareness of the local community. The Gond community along with their rich art and culture are on the brink of extinction, and Vanya Radio, Chicholi aims to preserve these rich cultural elements through its programmes and initiatives.  

Thematic Focus: The major thematic focus areas of Vanya Radio, Chicholi are education, agriculture, art and culture, and social empowerment of the tribal community. The CRS has been working in these areas to improve the lives of its target community members. The programmes are specifically curated to cater to their needs and address their critical concerns. The CRS also provides the community members to perform and preserve their art.

Sustainable Development Goals: Vanya Radio Chicholi focuses on the SDGs given below:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

SDG 15: Life on Land

Primetime Programmes: Darohar Apne Pradesh is one of the primetime programmes that is broadcast on Vanya Radio, Chicholi. The CRS has a bank of programmes that are designed to make the community members aware of concepts and topics in different areas like healthcare, social issues, welfare schemes, education etc. 

Innovations in format or any other way: Rather than just broadcasting its programmes, Vanya Radio Chicholi also reaches out to the target community through the means of narrowcasting. This helps in establishing a strong connection with the community and understanding their concerns. The CRS also interacts with officials from different departments to know about the different welfare schemes that are in place for the target community. 

Core Team: There are six members on the CRMC board of Vanya Radio, Chicholi, and there four members who constitute the core team at the CRS. 

Major Projects Undertaken: Vanya Radio Chicholi collaborated with UNICEF for a skill development project aimed for the welfare of the local community. The CRS also develops its own initiatives to address the concerns of the community. 

Sustainable Strategies:  Vanya Radio Chicholi depends on its parent organisation, Vanya Tribal Welfare Department, for financial and technical assistance. 

Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: The CRS has an active listener base of approximately 70,000 listeners.

Major concerns in the Community: The major concerns in the community are lack of awareness about different welfare schemes of the government, lack of adequate healthcare and educational infrastructure.