After everyone is served with their morning cup of tea, she rushes back to prepare lunch. Its time to wake little Labesh, her son, who turned five just a few days ago, and prepare him for school. While packing his lunch an idea strikes her. She grabs a paper and pen to write, post pregnancy hygiene issues.[break]
After her household chores Bandhana Danuwar uses up her ten minutes she needs to walk to her office in contemplating various angles to be explored on the subject.
“This is usually how I work, ideas strike out of nowhere and I work on those,” shares the 22-year-old station manager of Radio Udayapur.
Alongside her managerial jobs and training staff, she hosts programs too. She is the first to be appointed to the position for having the longest association with the radio station.
It was around three years ago, that, Bandhana heard an unfamiliar noise. An inquisitive personality, she ran outside to learn what was happening.
“A small distance away from my house they set up a tomb tike structure and called it the Audio Tower,” she recalls, adding, ”It had an amplifier and five microphones with which they broadcasted news and other programs from Radio Nepal.” The idea of a local radio station seemed so tempting for her that she hasn’t quite managed to stay away from the office.
Seeing her enthusiasm her family did not object unlike most families in the village who believe staying out long hours is not an option for girls. “I have been extremely lucky,” she exhales talking about her family. Although having been married off at 16, she says she has no complains.
“First off, it’s not uncommon for a girl from the Danuwar community in a village to be married at 16,” she explains, adding, “Secondly the relationship wasn’t a forced one.”
Bandhana’s family knew the family of her husband and were also aware of the fact that she would be allowed to continue her education after marriage.
Her in-laws have never questioned her decision to enroll in college or her work. “Can you imagine I’m allowed to stay out of town owing to my job without any objection?”
It’s not all that easy; however, for each time she has to stay away from home, her little son takes up her mind. As for the times when she is home she is constantly thinking of measures to improve the radio program.
“I think of the radio while in the kitchen and of the kitchen inside the studio, thank God I have learned to balance it,” she giggles. Bandhana shares that she loves her programs as much as she adores her family time with her son and husband.
During her free time she dabbles in writing short stories and poems and if sometimes the content matches with any of her program, it is aired. “Most of the time I read out my articles to others at work and ask if it’s good enough to be broadcast and if it’s a unanimous yes I use it,” she says.
Her favorite among the programs on radio Udayapur “cha aakshar swotantratako” is a discussion platform where female listeners are encouraged to call in, share their ideas and experiences on various issues.
She recalls this particular episode where the topic was related to harassment of women in public transport, “that episode had the largest participation,” she shares, adding, “a teen called in and shared her personal experience which made me cry, the line was disconnected only after she used up all the credit on her cell phone.”
This program sadly for now is on a halt the reason being the continued theft of the phone lines. The girls at the station are currently working on getting a new line for the radio. “In a few days we will have an underground line and the problem will be solved.”
Radio Udayapur is an all female workstation and the girls there are happy about it. Bandhana is especially proud because she believes she is playing an important part in the upliftment of women in her village.
“The radio is providing employment to girls and we are also raising awareness through our programs,” shares she.
She and her juniors not only conduct regular talk programs with experts on various issues related to women on-air but also visit local schools and colleges sharing ideas.
“We talk of women’s health, agriculture, global warming and tackle issues related to caste and gender based inequality, religion and superstition.” They also give tuitions on-air helping girls with their schooling.
As for her education, she has made up her mind on coming to the capital and getting a college degree in Mass Communication. Currently majoring in Education, Bandhana thinks her chosen subject is doing little to help her professionally.
Bandhana shares that Radio Udaypur has been the best thing to happen to her and now she has decided to work with it all her life.
Currently she is keeping her eyes open for any trainings related to her profession, “I will seize every opportunity I get to enhance my skills in journalism and the radio, so that I can come back and teach the girls,” she says.
Upon being asked about her and the radio’s long term goals, “There is a long way to that, this is just the beginning,” she signs off.
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