RURAL WOMEN USING AUDIO-VISUAL TOOLS TO PROPAGATE KNOWLEDGE

March 14, 2005 -(PTI) At a safe distance from the avalanche of media channels jostling to grab the attention of the urbanite, a group of illiterate women from a remote district of Andhra Pradesh has opened a new communication vista by making video and radio programmes on social and development issues.

These women from the marginalised section of society do not know how to read and write but with the help of these two audio visual tools they are reaching women in their Medak district and propagating knowlege and information which is for them and by them.

Working under the banner of Community Media Trust, the group of 16 women - two in radio and 14 in video, travel in various places giving expression to their developmental needs, feelings and confronting other local issues.

"During a workshop in 1996 women from all the villages of Medak district got together and decided we should not be marginalised just because we are illiterate and thereby was born the idea of having our own radio and video," says General Narsamma, a Radio producer in the group who was here to screen one of their documentaries.

The video group operates with Mini DV cameras, portable edit recorders, G-4 computer edit facility and also have their own edit suite and dubbing facility.

From: http://www.ptinews.com/pti/ptisite.nsf/$all/60B6B94A70D2F07565256FC4002293C4