SALT in Radio Fritta FM 105: SERAMBI SHORE

[rebeka sultana]

Stimulate, Appreciate, Learn/Link and Transfer are referred to a small but powerful word “SALT”. SALT is an approach which appreciates peoples strengthens and stimulates to act on their own through listening and learning. The learning’s are transferred to others as well. SALT approach has taken as an AIDS Competence approach by the Merauke community, Papua along with other communities in 4 provinces of Indonesia some 3 years ago. The work has been facilitated by UNFPA, local AIDS Commissions and other actors. People from different walks has joined the SALT teams and extending their care, support for each other by sharing information, linking to services and community discussions. Winona, a young energetic woman, mother of two is a member of Merauke SALT team. Besides this she is a local radio broadcaster; she conducts twice a week talk show programme for teenagers in Merauke.

Let’s listen to Winona how she warms hundreds of teenager hearts in Papua with HIV prevention messages through her talk show Serambi Shore:

“ The radio is an effective media to disseminate the information of HIV/AIDS which is necessary to resonate to the public like an ocean wave. However, to disseminate the information on HIV/AIDS, we should package the information with something fresh, attractive, especially if the audience are teenagers whom the message should be directed and made on their own language. This strategy expected to keep them stay tune and listen the Serambi Shore, an interactive talk show which I host weekly on radio Fritta FM 105. Each week during the programme my cell phone would be buzzing with many SMS from teenagers around Papua, they would request to play certain favourite songs and in between songs I would discuss about HIV and other issues related to teenagers. I have many interesting experiences and responses from the audience via phone or SMS, when I conduct Serambi Shore. Each day I get many SMS asking information on how HIV/AIDS could infect human, and other related question regarding HIV/AIDS prevention. Sometimes I invite local experts to share information with the teenagers. Dr. Inge Silvia an expert on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS and a doctor for HIV care in the Merauke government hospital has been the guest in my talk show few times. During the talk show, I also tried to put advertisement which consists of information on HIV/AIDS. I am glad that the topics on talk show have invited public debates which enriched the information shared on HIV/AIDS and as lesson learn for me to improve future information dissemination; also the number of people for HIV testing has gone up, people are more open now then any time before for HIV/AIDS prevention and care
...”
Winona also go for SALT visits to her communities, meet young people and women’s groups out of her interest on AIDS Competence. She said people are eager to know about the virus, what should they do and where should they go. Upon participating at her radio show young people come to local AIDS Commission for further information on HIV, STI.

Tune on radio Fritta FM 105 and hear Winona welcomes you saying
“Helloo listeners ....”

[Gaston]

Thanks Rebeka for this message.

Really interesting and concrete. The radio would be a great medium to spread 'local responses'. Let communities learn from each other's responses through the radio. It will ignite a whole set of responses.

This is one of our strategies in our recently started process in DR-Congo. We would use local radio channels to share how communities respond locally. People from the radio will (sometimes) be part of the SALT teams and get community immersion as well.

Regards, Gaston

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Dear Rebeka,

Thanks for this interesting sharing which illustrates how each one of us, in his/her own way can respond to HIV. As the saying goes 'If its to be, its upto me".

While technology mediated approaches are often inappropriate for the community, radio reaches the poorest and hard to reach communities and even transcends literacy gaps. Inexpensive community radio has been successful in encouraging participation from all kinds of communities and in different areas from warning about floods to sharing information on crops.

Best wishes for the learning event.

Affectionately,

Rituu