MUMBAI: The third edition of Radio4Child awards culminated on 10 May 2019. The awards that honored RJs for their innovative and thought-provoking programming across themes, saw big names from UNICEF and radio industry. Based on themes, Radio4Child awards 2019 included nominations for workshops, conducted in 2018, by UNICEF and Association of Radio Operators (AROI) for over 40 All India Radio (AIR) and private FM radio professionals. This initiative aimed to help them integrate radio jingles/talk shows on critical messages related to vaccination and other child issues.
Present at Radio4Child Awards was UNICEF Maharashtra chief of field office Rajeshwari Chandrasekar who lent her thoughts on radio- a powerful medium to spread awareness, “Radio is an important medium because it reaches a larger audience and duck areas where other modes of entertainment do not exist. Radio’s ‘network’ proves to be the biggest advantage.”
“The second is radio jockeys are able to translate an actual message into something appealing to the audience. Listeners heart is a big advantage, which radio brings to the social development programme,” elaborates Chandrasekar.
The third edition of Radio4Child saw two important themes like Routine Immunization (Measles Rubella campaign) and End Violence Against Children (Child Sexual Abuse). When asked Chandrasekar about what the fourth edition 'theme' would conquer, she revealed, “’Childhood development’ would be our theme for next Radio4Child awards. This topic is an area, which lays the foundation for a child’s growth.”
Chandrasekhar explains UNICEF’s initiatives, “We have many programmes in health one of them being counselling mothers, who are planning pregnancies and ensuring that they are physically fit to be pregnant. There are certain risk factors for women that our programme spreads awareness about. One of our attempts will scale shortly in Nasik where we will counsel couples on safe motherhood.”
UNICEF is known to work at some of the toughest places, to reach out to the world’s most unpriviledged children. Across 190 countries and territories, they work for every child, to build a better world for everyone.
