An Introduction about the Project
Galli Galli Sim Sim is a multi-platform initiative that combines the power of multimedia and educational outreach to help children prepare better for school and life.
Under the GGSS Radiophone Project, 91 Galli Galli Sim Sim episodes were broadcast across 10 community radio stations1 (CR stations) in the Hindi-speaking belt of North India for a period of one year. The purpose of this project was to reach out to children and caregivers in the rural areas of the country with messages around language and literacy, math and reasoning, health and nutrition, environmental awareness, social and emotional health.
Background and Objectives
The radio program was broadcasted twice a week with three key components:
- A pre-produced GGSS show provided to the local community radio station;
- A community segment produced by the local CR station;
- A call-in interactive segment where local audiences participated in the show with their suggestions, inputs, stories etc.
The initiative also supported outreach events that the local CR stations organized in their areas. Additionally, the content was offered to communities on a toll-free mobile number.
The radio programs were designed to specifically include content that enhanced learning on the following key areas:
- Literacy and language
- Math & reasoning
- Health & hygiene
- Environmental awareness
- Social health
- Emotional health
Key Findings
A total of 550 coded diary entries were received across the GGSS Radiophone Initiative.
An analysis of the diary entries shows a high number of codes in the area of ‘Participation’ and the area of ‘community researcher skill’. This indicates that community researchers reported and reflected most on these two areas in their diaries. Another area with a significantly high number of codes is ‘personal and technical challenges’.
Diary code: Participation
The participation code was designed to capture community engagement with the GGSS show. A high occurrence of the code across diaries indicates that the show was successful in engaging the local community.
It is important to note that except Gurgaon Ki Awaaz, all CR stations received calls for nearly every episode and these were regularly reported in the diaries where researchers mentioned the number of calls received during the show.
People reciting stories, commenting upon the topic of discussion or narrating their experiences, were reported in the diaries and coded as “participation” by the community researchers. When CR stations included simple games or quiz contest with the show, the participation increased. In some cases like Lalitlokvani, people called in to ask riddles, which were then answered by other listeners.
Diary Code: Ideas for Change; Community Action
The two codes — Ideas of Change and Community Action — together engage with evidence of change in the community as a result of the GGSS program.
The ideas of change/ success stories code was intended to capture all instances where community researchers observed a change in the perception of people with regard to children, their learning or the practices being advocated in the GGSS show.
Diary Code: Challenges to Change
The Challenges to Change code is designed to capture those aspects of the diary entries that highlight specific challenges that people in the community may face when trying to adopt the practices and behavior being advocated in the GGSS program.
Case Study
Kumaonvani: October, 2012
Tanuja said that after listening to the 40th episode, which was on hygiene, she has started keeping her hands, nails and clothes and also tries teaching these habits to her younger brothers.
Tanuja with her friend, in Satpuri village
Alfaz e Mewat: July,2012
Jahan Khan runs a grocery store in the neighborhood and has a radio in his shop which he and the other adults and children in the village listen to for their entertainment. He feels children can learn a lot from the program and he also encourages his neighbourhood kids to sit with him and listen to the program.
Radio Solan: August, 2012
Deepu listens to radio every day in his mother’s parlour. Deepu used to have a gullak (pigy bank) of his own but it had broken. One day he heard the episode Googly’s Gullak with his mother after which his mother bought him a gullak with the hope that he would save some money. Deepu wants to buy a cricket bat with the money he collects as he aspires to be a cricketer.
Deepu with his gullak
Henvalvani: December, 2012
Harish involves himself in helping the kids in their studies. When he taught the kids in the evening they would find it difficult to pay attention, as it was their playtime. However, being a regular listener of GGSS, he has started teaching in a new way. He helps children play games, which would teach them something as well.
