Folk Media ---The SIFPSA Experience

The importance of traditional media for health communication has been realized by SIFPSA. In a state where rural communities are characterized by low literacy and limited access to technology, folk forms provide a special opportunity and comprise the principal medium of communication. Moreover, the entertainment value associated with these traditional forms, their ability to use local folkfore, dialects, costumes and music and their immense popularity make them a powerful tool to deliver messages and an effective communication medium to reach out to the rural masses.

Uttar Pradesh is known for several region-specific folk forms. In the eastern part of the state birha is the preferred medium; the Bundelkhand region is home to the tunes and tales of alha; qawwali springs from Urdu speaking communities and is common in western UP; nautanki, perhaps the most widely admired folk form, is extremely popular in central and western parts; and jadoo or magic enthrals people across the state.
With its richness and regional variations, folk is probably the only medium which allows communication to be need-based, localized and region-specific, thereby leaving a much greater impact. The challenge faced by this medium however lies in two areas : one, training the performers and building capacity in them to integrate messages with entertainment keeping the
right balance and, two, tackling
the logistics and organizational challenges of conducting performances in the field.

Capacity Building

Nautanki Performance

The use of folk media to communicate with the rural target audience, a medium that they not only understand, but also empathize with, has been one of the IEC innovations that has achieved remarkable success. Four lok vidha or folk media training workshops have been organized by SIFPSA, training over 100 folk troupes per workshop. These workshops are instrumental in developing the capacity of the performing troupes in several spheres. The training involves a complete orientation of the troupes to the objectives of the SIFPSA project, sensitizing them to the nature of the messages required and development of scripts. The scripts for the folk art are usually spun around story ideas that are rich in entertainment value and interspersed with family planning and health messages. They also ensure standardization of messages, their quality and the duration of the performance. The workshop provides an opportunity to the participants by encouraging them to improvise upon the scripts by adding flavours of local dialects and folklore. Emphasis is also laid on striking a balance between education and entertainment.

Encouraged by the high success rate of message dissemination and comprehension, SIFPSA conducted an intensive ten-day folk media workshop from 15 - 25 December, 2003. Using the expertise of renowned playwright, artiste & nautanki expert Ram Dayal Sharma and his troupe of master trainers from Braj Lok Madhuri, training was imparted to over 130 troupes in magic, nautanki, puppetry, qawwali & birha.

A birha performer dances with gay abandon.

The objective of the workshop was not only to sensitize and inform the folk artistes about the concept of reproductive & child health, but also to develop and finalize the actual scripts for the different styles. The issues to be dealt by the artistes during their performances ranged from the need to raise the marriage age, promote the concept of spacing between children, antenatal care for pregnant women, safe delivery practices & advocate breast feeding & balanced nourishment. Developing scripts for promoting male and female sterilization and dispelling prevalent myths about these family planning methods, was a unique activity done for the first time in the workshop.
Armed with the expert inputs of Ram Dayal Sharma and his master trainers, the folk troupes are expected to conduct an impressive 1900 performances over a three-month period commencing February 2004. The troupes would fan across the length and breadth of the 33 SIFPSA districts carrying with them the messages of reproductive & child health.

Folk Shows Wins Many Hearts

It was an evening that the US Charge’ d’ Affaires, Mr. Robert Blake and the high powered delegation from the US Embassy would cherish for times to come. It transported all present to the lush countryside of Uttar Pradesh, where a folk entertainment programme was organized, almost like it is done in villages.

Robert Blake US Charge'd' Affaires enthralled by a folk performance

A distinguished gathering, which also included guests from the media and government saw the use of folk art to communicate health messages. Riveting and entertaining, the evening showcased the best elements of the five folk forms - magic, nautanki, puppetry, qawwali & birha that are being used extensively by SIFPSA for conveying health messages in media dark villages. Each sterling performance held the audience spellbound and demonstrated the power of communication transcending the barriers of language.

SIFPSA's Folk Media Document

At the end of an entertaining evening, Mr. Robert Blake released a colourful documentation of SIFPSA’s pioneering efforts in folk media entertainment so that others may also share the experience.