Healthy Airwaves for Youth (HAFY)

HAFY is a community-based radio network working to reduce risky health-related behaviours among young people and other vulnerable groups. Journalists and youth volunteers come together at one of 5 regional radio stations to learn to produce interactive broadcasting that addresses health and other issues of special relevance to their communities. The programmes cover such topics as prevention of HIV and other STIs, hygiene, and inter-generational gaps.

The project is based on participation, networking, and collaboration. First, the radio stations within the HAFY network work to directly involve young people as message-makers through community-based, participatory, health-promoting radio programming. Second, HAFY provides a forum for member stations in an effort to enable them to exchange creative ideas and enrich their resources to better respond to needs of the community. Created in November 2003, the HAFY website (in Russian language only, with an English translation available of the Home Page) provides "a place, where everybody can share thoughts and ideas or simply learn something new about healthy life style" through resources, news, and electronic discussions.

To elaborate on the communication strategies guiding one participating station, Radio Salam (in Batken) has been working since 2001 to help solve local problems, alongside and in partnership with the community. In response to what organisers describe as sluggish economic development and deteriorating school infrastructure in this region, Salam Radio goes beyond health topics to help bridge broader information gaps. Its mission is to create opportunities for young people to speak out and listen to each other, to study together, and to entertain each other while learning. About 30 volunteers from schools collect information and develop scripts for programmes, which focus on such issues as children living in orphanages or "institutions": "Some days ago, we went to the Children's Institution," says Aidai, a third-year student at Batken University and a volunteer at Radio Salam. "Most of the children have biological parents or extended families and they miss them. Our group is now working on scripts for the Daily Stories Programme to tell people that an institution is not a solution to any of their problems. Children should live with their families. We take our work very seriously; people trust and listen to the radio's messages."

Children, Youth, HIV/AIDS, Health.

Following a 7-day intensive training workshop conducted by Australia's Health Communication Resources (HCR), a 106-page evaluation and monitoring Toolbox was produced for this project, based on the belief that community radio stations can monitor and evaluate their health and social development programming despite being small and having limited funds. Click here for a description of, and free online access to, this resource.