Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
It's estimated that over sixty per cent of Afghans are under 25. While more than ever
are educated, sometimes the future can look bleak to this majority group with high unemployment
and continuing conflict in the country. Sport, equality and drug prevention. Quite
the mission statement, but it acts as the three aims of Youth Media, a company founded
by a 27-year-old and whose main venture, a sports and music-focused radio station is
breaking down barriers. For example, one of its chief presenters,
responsible for three-quarters of its sports output is female.
“I think in Kabul there are lots of girls, who don't have anything to do. Sport is the
only thing which shows a completely positive path to people.”
Farkhunda's a keen sportswoman and when she's not reading the sports news or co-hosting
'Goal', the most popular programme on Youth FM, she plays for the national volleyball
team. But her achievements haven't been without a struggle.
“Yes, all women in Afghanistan have lots of problems. And after 30 years of wars in
Afghanistan, the mentality of people is not ready to accept a woman working in media in
Afghanistan.” “When I started working I faced problems
but through everything, my family helped me a lot to increase my knowledge. From the very
start, my aim was to become one of the greatest presenters in Afghanistan.”
Youth FM has only been on air for two years, broadcasting over five of Afghanistan's 34
provinces but it's attracted a dedicated following of 16-25 year olds, who love to interact with
the station through Facebook and SMS.
“At the moment social media, as I think, that it's really appreciated in the young
generation. Especially Facebook, they really love the social network, they are really sharing
their ideas and they are not only sharing, they are knowing each other and it's really
playing the key role in freedom of speech on the ground.”
Afghanistan has often been acknowledged as the world's main source of ***. Such a temptation
can be damaging for disillusioned youth. Javid tries to combat this by encouraging listeners
to focus on sport instead.
“Sport is really making, playing the key role in the unity of a nation. Focus on sport,
focus on your health and as long you have got good health, you will be effective not
only for yourself but for the country.”
When it comes to security, the DJs have occasionally received threats over SMS, but Javid says
he's not faced any significant problems. In fact, he says, if there's a bomb or attack,
he encourages his DJs to work even harder to lift their audience's mood.
“In one suicide attack, I was trying to, I was coming right away from my desk and being
with the guys in making the music much more hotter, to change the programmes, to make
it to be, to make them to laugh a lot, to enjoy with the audience.”
In the future, Javid plans to expand Youth FM to the entire country and eventually to
set up a TV station, but he says he'll never 'sell out', because that would be to betray
the key attraction to his young audience.
“As long as Youth Media is independent and they know it's not completely related to any
billionaires or millionaires also not related to any kind of political groups.”
This is Ruth Owen, in Afghanistan, for the NATOchannel.