Alfaz-e-Mewat @ 107.8 FM

Contact Person: Ms. Sonia Chopra, Ms. Pooja O. Murada

Broadcasting Language: Hindi  

Genesis: Alfaz-e-Mewat means ‘rural voices of Mewat’, and it is a media platform set up by the S M Sehgal Foundation (a public charitable trust registered in India) for the services of the community that lives in the bordering villages of Nuh district in Haryana and Alwar district of Rajasthan. Alfaz-e-Mewat promotes community-led programming and therefore is an ideal space for the community members to come together, connect with each other, express their opinions and concerns, and share their knowledge and experience. This helps the community members to learn from each other, and collectively work for the upliftment of the community.

Thematic Focus: The primary focus areas of Alfaz-e-Mewat are agricultural development, water management, gender equality, health and hygiene, metal health, financial literacy, education, and local culture. The programmes of the CRS are designed to focus on these areas in a way that suits the needs of the community.

Sustainable Development Goals: Alfaz-e-Mewat Radio aspires to achieve the SDGs given below:

SDG 1: No Poverty

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 4: Quality Education

SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institution

Primetime Programmes: The primetime programmes that are broadcast on Alfaz-e-Mewat are Kisse Kahani (featuring folk musicians of the Mirasi community), Hello Farmaish, Tohfa-e-Kudrat-Jal, Jangal, Jameen ((related to water, soil, and forest), Sehat Mitti Ki, Radio School, Humse Hai Shasan,  Gaon Ki Chaupal, , Saaf, Safai, aur Sehat, and Uljhan. 

These programmes are developed and packaged in formats that intrigue and educate the local masses on various subjects and issues. The programmes also feature experts who give valuable insights about various matters, and help the community do better. 

Innovations in format or any other way: Alfaz-e-Mewat is a community-led station that aims to foster a culture of learning among its listeners and strengthen its inclusive approach for content creation. To achieve this, the station uses storytelling as a means of sharing information in an entertaining and educational manner. Stories have the power to resonate with people and are a valuable tool for promoting cross-cultural understanding. In addition to storytelling, the station also uses live discussions with experts, phone-ins, narrowcasting, drama, and role plays to convey information to the community. 

Core Team: There are nine CRMC members on the board of Alfaz-e-Mewat. The core team is constituted of four members who each essay a unique responsibility. The CRS also encourages the community members to be a part of the activities of the station in different capacities. 

Major Projects Undertaken: Alfaz-e-Mewat’s range of projects can be categorised into government awareness-building programmes/campaigns, projects from multilateral organisations, and other NGOs/community network bodies. The station has broadcast the following projects: 

Har Ghar Poshan Ka Tyohar, Har Ghar Tiranga, TB Harega, Desh Jitega, Panchayati Raj, International Day of Yoga Campaign, Promotion of COVID-19 vaccination. The CRS also partnered with Skill India Mission, National Rural Livelihoods Mission, DAVP, and organisations such as UNICEF, UNESCO, Rajbala Foundation, IIT-Mumbai, and Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA). 

Sustainable Strategies: Besides receiving administrative support from the parent organisation, the licence holder of the radio station, financial sustainability largely comes through the projects and advertisements/campaigns received by the station from different government agencies, CR associations/network, multilateral and bi-lateral organisations, DAVP and district authorities

Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: Alfaz-e-Mewat has an outreach potential of nearly 2,25,000 people. 

Major concerns in the Community:  The major concerns of the area are water scarcity, and poor water quality, WASH issues, women’s health and nutrition, low literacy rate, and lack of awareness on various government entitlements, employment opportunities and mental health.