Hamro Team (Our Team), the Nepali version of SFCG's multi-nation television franchise "The Team", is about a football team and the challenges they face coming together despite their differences in a post-conflict environment. Produced in conjunction with Common Ground Productions and AB Pictures, the 13-episode show uses the appeal of football and television to bring in viewers and transform how they approach the difficult environment in which they live. "Anything is possible if we become one despite our weaknesses, traits and conflicts. We are telling this story and giving this message through football," said director Bhusan Dahal.
Promo of Hamro Team (1:16)
Hamro Team has an important message but is presented in an entertaining format intertwined with comedy and romance; to avoid coming off as preachy, Hamro Team was intentionally given a commercial look. According to Dahal, "What sets it apart is that the message is weaved into the plot." "The plot is driven by a message that emphasises teamwork, but apart from that, it has everything else that popular TV shows have: tears, comedy, and romance," says Richa Sharma, who plays the lead as Seema, the all-male team's female football coach. "I definitely think it will make its mark in Nepali television."
To publicize Hamro Team, its theme song and accompanying music video were released by the show's crew members, Dahal, producer Yubakar Rajkarnikar, music composer Kali Prasad Banskota, singer Astha B and media personality Robin Sharma. Just as with the series, the song emphasizes teamwork and leadership, as well as finding commonalities. Hamro Team has also been featured in various weeklyand monthly magazines and daily newspapers. Wave magazine, a magazine popular with both young people in the country and with the diaspora community. The music video, as well as excerpts from the first season, can be seen on our Videos Page.
A second season of Hamro Team is planned for release soon.
Children-produced radio magazine
Young people who want to develop a career in journalism often have very few opportunities to develop
their skills early on in life. With this in mind, SFCG and AFN has developed the skills and talents of 25 young journalists - training them in journalism and radio production, and providing the opportunity to self- produce segments of a radio magazine. This has developed their skills, and many of the young journalists have gone on to work in local radio stations as a result of their work with SFCG.
SFCG in partnership with Antenna Foundation Nepal (AFN) produced and broadcasted 26 episodes of a weekly children's radio magazine Sunau Bolau (Let's Talk, Let's Listen). Sunau Bolau is a children's radio programme produced by child journalists with the support of adult mentors, and has been produced since 2008. It is structured around a radio magazine format in which the child reporters from across the country send in news, reports and interviews from their districts, and the child producer (with support from an adult producer at our partner organisation Antenna Foundation Nepal) packages the contents for distribution across the country for broadcast.
The 26 episodes of radio magazine Sunau Bolau was broadcast on 30 radio stations across the country from November 2009 to April 2010. Through the programme, the child and young journalists got the opportunity to directly use the common ground tools in radio productions. The programme also contributed in raising awareness and creating a sense of ownership of the peace process amongst the young listeners of the programme. By highlighting the creative ways young people are engaging themselves in the peace process, the programme also encouraged the young listeners to do so, instead of being manipulated into violence.
Radio Dramas
Naya Bato Naya Paila
There are many challenges facing Nepali youth. For some it is unemployment, for others, it is the risk of involvement in violence or getting caught up in political groups, for some they have a desire to work towards peace in the country but don't know how. To this end, SFCG and its partners produce two radio dramas that inspire youth to get involved in local youth clubs for peacebuilding and development, to leave behind involvement in violence, armed groups or drugs, to build positive relationships with the elder generation and their community, and to seek positive opportunities for employment.
SFCG has been co-producing two radio dramas. In partnership with AFN, it produces a radio drama "Naya Bato Naya Paila" (New path new footsteps), with nationwide coverage, which supports the involvement of youth in community decision making and peacebuilding. A total of 118 episodes of the drama were produced and broadcast. The 20-minute drama was broadcast twice a week on the state run national radio – Radio Nepal – as well as on 52 local FM stations across the country. AFN and SFCG first launched the radio drama in 2006, in response to the urgent need to carve out a new role for youth in the transition to peace and democracy. Drama is a recognised behaviour change tool used by SFCG around the world, as it is very popular with young people, provides opportunities to develop new role models, and is also able to address sensitive topics that non-fictional programmes are not able to address as easily.
A recent listenership survey conducted by SFCG in November 2009 found that 61 percent of the people surveyed listened to NBNP, while 44 percent of respondents claimed that the radio drama helped increase social harmony and cooperation in the society.
SFCG in partnership with New World has produced and broadcasted a regional radio drama in Maithili Language called "Sangor". More than 60 episodes of the show has already been produced and broadcast through 13 FM stations in the Eastern Terai.
Artist recording for Sangor
Sangor listening sessions for public
Radio Talk-shows that resolve conflict at district level
Local level conflicts can often spiral into bigger conflicts that affect the whole district or even the national level through bhands, political involvement, etc. SFCG and its FM partners use mediation skills on the radio talk shows, to help resolve district level conflicts before they become bigger.
SFCG, in partnership with Far Western Media Development Center (FMDC), New World and 15 other local FM stations have produced and broadcasted radio talk shows, Farakilo Dharti at the regional and local level. Farakilo Dharti (Wider Earth) is a franchised radio talk-show that our partner radio stations have been producing with support from SFCG over the last two years. It is a talkshow with one identity and one set of objectives, but has different topics of discussion as relevant to various parts of the country. The producers for the show are selected from the participants of the Radio for Peacebuilding training. The purpose of the talkshow is threefold – it provides practical experience for selected participants of Radio for Peacebuilding to develop a peacebuilding talkshow, secondly it is a program that demonstrates solution oriented dialogue techniques to a broader audience, thirdly, many local level conflicts are actually resolved within the show.
Radio magazine for better relations between citizens and government
SFCG in partnership with its media production partner New World produced and broadcasted a radio magazine called 'Sajhedari' (Partnership). The radio magazine aims to directly facilitate improved relationships between local government officials and citizens in rural areas. It included reports, features, short dramas, interviews, and vox pops with local citizens. A total of 57 episodes were produced and broadcast from 12 September 2009 to 9 October 2010. It was aired weekly on Saturday evenings from 7.30 pm to 8.00 pm. It was part of the USAID funded Nepal Government Citizen Partnership Program, led by ARD. ( NGCPP)
The show was designed to create two-way communication, top down and bottom up. By creating such dialogues, many episodes were also able to show positive role models in both local governance and citizens' participation, rewarding positive behaviors. Using a dynamic and entertaining format, the program was successful in creating dialogues between government officials and their constituencies at the local level.
