Vanya Radio Khalwa @ 90.4 FM

Contact Person: Mr. Ajay Kumar Gour

Broadcasting Language: Hindi and Korku

Genesis: Vanya Radio Khalwa 90.4 FM was established on 01st November, 2011 by Vanya Tribal Welfare Department. The Korku community living in the bordering areas of Maharashtra has barely any access to modern means of communication like newspapers, radio or television etc. The Community Radio Station was started to broadcast programmes in their own language for the benefit of these communities. This also conforms with the vision of creating a just and humane society with equal access to knowledge, power, justice, rights and decision-making.

Thematic Focus: The primary focus of the Vanya Radio, Khalwa is to create quality content in the fields of education and agriculture, and also educate the community regarding a variety of areas/topics that are critical to their well-being. The CRS promotes the expressions of thoughts in the local dialect to preserve the local language and culture, and also motivates the community to improve their lives by harnessing the best out of available resources to educate and empower themselves. 

Sustainable Development Goals: Vanya Radio, Khalwa aspires to achieve these SDGs through its work:

SDG 4: Quality Education

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

SDG 15: Life on Land

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institution

Primetime Programmes: Gammat is one of the popular primetime programmes that are broadcast on Radio Vanya, Khalwa. It is a programme based on the local culture. It often includes performances by the local community members and emphasises on the importance of preserving one’s culture, lest it be lost in a fast-changing world. 

Innovations in format or any other way: Radio Vanya, Khalwa communicates with officers from different departments to get information regarding different community welfare schemes that aim to improve their living standards. This information is further passed on to the community members so that they can draw benefits from the schemes. 

Core Team: Radio Vanya, Khalwa operates with a small but efficient team which is constituted by the Station Head, Coordinator, Assistant Coordinator. Each of them essays an integral responsibility to ensure the seamless functioning of the CRS and the efficient delivery of its initiatives. 

Major Projects Undertaken: Radio Vanya, Khalwa mainly focuses on bridging gaps between the administration and the local community. The CRS internally develops different initiatives to address the needs of the community and ensure that they are able to benefit from different schemes.  

Sustainable Strategies: Vanya Radio depends on its parent organisation, Vanya Tribal Welfare Department, for financial and technical assistance.  The CRS aspires to broadcast more than ten hours of programmes on a daily basis.

Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: Vanya Radio, Khalwa has a potential outreach of at least one lakh people within its broadcast limits. 

Major concerns in the Community: The major concerns in the tribal community is the lack of education, and lack of adequate facilities in healthcare, sanitation and other areas. The tribal people also suffer from lack of sustainable livelihood opportunities and low income. Illiteracy often leads to several other problems like lack of awareness of fundamental rights and exploitation.