STArTInG A LOCAL RADiO stAtiOn - Nai

Section 3: The value of staff and volunteersDisability Program Helps Afghans Overcome BarriersPeople with disabilities in Afghanistan have a voice through a Salam Watandar program, Qahir-IQahraman (Qahir the Champion). The show began when a handful of volunteers working witha disability organization collaborated with Salam Watandar producers to create the educationaland advocacy program about Afghanistan’s over 1.5 million disabled citizens, most of themvictims of war. The program includes news, information, a weekly drama and advice for peoplewith disability.“It is the voice of the disabled community,” says senior producer Haji Nader, 53, who lost an armin a rocket explosion 30 years ago.Recently, a man named Majid called the show from Ghazni province. He’d lost both legs in amine explosion two years ago. “He said he rarely left his home during the first year after the incident,”Haji Nader says. “He was afraid people would mock him if he ventured outside.”After listening to the show for several weeks on Radio Ghaznawian, Majid learned about otherpeople living with a disability in Afghanistan who were learning new skills at a training and employmentcenter established by an NGO.Majid visited the center and enrolled in a tailoring class. After completing the course, he took ajob as an assistant tailor at a local tailoring shop. Today, Majid owns his own shop. He earns 800to 1000 Afghanis a day, the equivalent of $16 to $20, well above the national per capita income.INSPIRING STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS TO WORK EFFECTIVELYWhat is an orientation?When a new person joins the radio station as a paid staff member or unpaid volunteer, it’s important togive them an introduction to their workplace. This introduction is commonly referred to as an orientation.It doesn’t have to take a long time, but here are some suggestions for what to include in an orientation:nnnnnA brief description of the radio station and its mission and goals, organizational structure and reportingstructureOverview of the station’s radio programs and broadcasting scheduleFormal introduction to co-workers and managersA discussion of the staff/volunteer’s role including how it relates to the goals and operation of thestationPrinted copy of the radio station’s policy guideSTARTING A LOCAL RADIO STATION: A MANUAL FOR AFGHANISTAN37