The discussions of the women from Andhra Pradesh (South India) mostly from lower castes is feeding into the programming of a newly launched community television initiative called “Ankuram” (meaning ‘budding’ in Telugu, the local language).

The clubs are growing to be popular social spaces where women actively engaged with Ankuram discuss, debate and localize issues features in newspapers, which in turn become topics for programmes on the community television.

Ankuram community TV is an initiative of Byrraju Foundation in collaboration with UNESCO. The technology for this project is riding on an existing wifi network of the Foundation called Project Ashwini. This innovation combines a TV studio and the existing wifi network with a local cable TV facility enabling people to access the services and programmes right in their homes.

This technological and social innovation is being piloted in three villages (Cherukumilli, Juvvalapalem & I-Bhimavaram) in West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh and the local programmes reach about 69 villages across the district through the cable network.

Ethnographic Action Research (EAR) employed for ongoing needs assessments revealed that women could not afford and access newspapers. After talking to the community leaders, the EAR researcher arranged for the newspapers to reach the Anganwadi centre (early childcare and development centre) in the hamlets. As a result, newspaper readers clubs were formed and the women meet to discuss issues like poverty, women empowerment, literacy, sanitation, community information needs etc. These women, who are largely from lower castes, are not usually allowed to go to facilities in the main village like the panchayat or the library. Thus the newspaper readers club becomes a good way of informing themselves of the world outside. The formation of the clubs has helped in: increasing media literacy, triggering debate about local needs, building rapport with community members and creating awareness about the community television initiative.

One of the community members, Ms Paidiswari says: "I am very interested in reading newspapers, but cannot afford getting one at home. Though we have TV, we don’t watch news regularly and these [TV] news channels will not give information that is relevant to us and we don’t get local news on these channels. Now, after forming newspaper readers club, I am able to read newspaper early in the morning everyday. I like reading about success stories of women and local news. Few of us go to the centre everyday to discuss news. It is really very interesting. Our anganwadi aaya (nanny) who studied up to third grade will read the newspaper thoroughly and tells other women".

Initially, there were very few women coming to the centre, but gradually this number has increased leading to regular meetings every Thursday. Some of the members of this club are also volunteer producers for Ankuram community TV and these discussions and suggestions spark off ideas for locally relevant content. These clubs help build social networks and create social capital which goes a long way in achieving social sustainability of the project.

The story was contributed by Veena Yamini, Project Coordinator Byrraju Foundation and Srinivas B, EAR researcher.