Desh Paradesh (Country and Abroad)

Desh Paradesh (Country and Abroad) is a regional radio programme created as part of a Nepal/India Safe Migration Initiative conducted in co-ordination with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Family Health International (FHI) in India for Nepali labour migrants and their families living in Mumbai. The 30-minute radio drama and audio magazine show offers a mix of drama, song, voices from the field, messages to families and a radio magazine that features interviews and discussion from Far Western Nepal and Mumbai, India.

Desh Paradesh is produced in Nepal and uses satellite technology to reach Nepali migrant audiences in destination communities outside of the country. The programme is aired through Radio Nepal's national and regional broadcasting stations, and local FM stations in Far Western Nepal.

Digital Broadcast Initiative/Equal Access developed the radio programme in collaboration with the local beneficiary groups. Communication Corner and producers in Far West Nepal and Mumbai designed and produced the show jointly, with technical oversight provided by Content Advisory Group in Nepal.

HIV/AIDS

The radio show was developed in response to research from Far Western Nepal that showed HIV prevalence is higher in mobile and migrating populations. In particular, Nepali men who had returned from Mumbai and Maharashtra State in India had higher rates of HIV infection. According to FHI, there was a clear need for an intervention that targeted Nepali men at both source and destination communities and the availability of satellite technology provided the opportunity to use mass media for HIV/AIDS prevention programs.