ABOUT SSMK LISTENER'S CLUB.........

Around ten months after SSMK went on air; the team started receiving letters from the listeners saying that it was not easy for them to listen to the program because of the objection they receive from the parents and teachers to the program's contents and use of direct language in the program. The adolescent, however, appreciated the program because it talked openly about issues, which they would never get a chance to raise at home or school. So, the SSMK production team thought may be the listener should consider starting clubs. The initial survey findings also suggested that existing youth clubs were not helping adolescents to effectively deal with their personal problems. Almost all the boys and girls interviewed felt there was a need to establish SSMK listener's clubs. .Listeners clubs are the small group formed by listeners themselves providing the safe and comfortable place where they can listen to the program together and discuss about the issues that have been raised by the program. Since these clubs come in the direct contact with other latent listeners, the clubs aid the radio show in imparting its message to the grass root level and assist in the evaluation of the show and consequently send us feedback.

The SSMK radio show's relevance and appeal has spawned a network of over 1,270 listeners clubs (data as of July, 2008) in 72 districts of the country and the number of clubs is continually increasing. These clubs and its members, not only tune into the program regularly but undertake social/developmental activities in collaboration with local health centers and village development committees, these listeners clubs have begun organizing their own activities such as training programs to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, health and sanitation, gender/caste discrimination and working on development of local infrastructure etc. The SSMK team has also been assisting the outreach activities of the listener's clubs, with support from USAID and labor foundation. Members of these clubs are playing active roles in engaging their communities and influencing long-term decision making related to issues that matter to youth. Since September 2004, the SSMK production team has been working to integrate more targeted information about accessing services and responding to questions raised by the listener's club members and thousands of letters and emails received each month.