COMMUNICATION NETWORKING

ABSTRACT:
We live in the information age where communication holds the key to overall human development. Be it electronic or print, a lot of information is generated each moment and yet there seems to be a void. We rarely get the information of our choice and interest. It is true more with the children of rural and remote areas.

In hills we lack largely human resource and today we need an alternative strategy to prepare human resource for the welfare of the mountains. The only possibility to sustain regional, ecological and economical issues is to prepare human resource for such a mission. " Bachcho Ka Akhbar" was a helping hand in this mission and will encourage children for an organised approach in the future.

"Bachcho Ka Akhbar" is an innovative tool for sustainable science communication in children of rural areas. It is an effort that focuses upon tapping the potential of rural children. This activity for children was initiated in order to sensitize them and refine resource awareness, science popularization, environmental knowledge, health, socio cultural issues and entrepreneurial skills. Magazine was used as a tool to make children interested in reading for leisure, pleasure, knowledge and fun. Magazine provided children the freedom to express their ideas. They were active recipients because they participated in sending village news, write-ups, their views and thoughts. This newsletter is being dispatched to 1500 villages of Uttarakhand and children of other states too by post and by hand. The magazine is popular among the children of remote and rural villages of Uttarakhand. Besides, children of other states like H.P., J&K, Delhi, Rajasthan, Agra, Maharashtra, M.P., Andhra Pradesh, Calcutta, Orissa and Assam enjoy reading the magazine.

Children newspaper had shown significant impact. Children were enlightened with new development, regional resource awareness and utilization, science and technology related issues. The magazine has developed in children a total new set of feeling and expression. It became an encouraging and successful tool in fulfilling children's emotional and expression needs. Besides, developed thirst for science based knowledge and innovations in children. Letters from children highlighted their eagerness, curiosity and love for information and knowledge. The magazine also initiated reading and writing skills in rural children. "Bachcho Ka Akhbar" was a mission to empower children to help themselves.

INTRODUCTION:
Studies on children have mainly been in the area of culture and personality, growth studies, education and malnutrition. Traditionally, concern about children has been limited to merely providing for their well-being. The focus has been more on there needs rather then their rights. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) adopted by the general assembly of the United Nations in November 1989 guaranteed children many rights that adults do not enjoy. The three Articles of CRC i.e. Article 12: The Right to Express Opinions, Article 13: The right to Freedom of Expression and Article 17: The Right to Access Appropriate Information demanded children's participation in the areas that directly affect them.

We live in the information age where communication holds the key to overall human development. Be it electronic or print, a lot of information is generated each moment and yet there seems to be a void. We rarely get information of our choice and interest. It is true more with the children of rural and remote areas. It is now accepted that literacy has great potential to make life significant, interesting and full. Literacy is a key factor in capability building and in enhancing the quality of life of an individual. Since literacy is basic to the understanding of the working of a host of social, economic and political institutions, even primary level education performs an important part, particularly in rural areas. One cannot enter the new communication and social order if one is not literate.

"Bachcho Ka Akhbar"(BKA) was a creative tool to develop as a means of communication for the rural children. It was one such effort that focused upon the tapping of the potential of rural children. This activity for the children was initiated in order to sensitize them towards natural resources, their utilization, science popularization, traditional knowledge, environmental issues, health aspects and entrepreneurial skills. In making children interested in reading for leisure, pleasure, knowledge and fun magazine was used as a tool by which learning took place through entertainment. Poems and jokes/riddles of children were also part of the magazine to make it children friendly. Thus "BKA" will contribute in the formation of an enlightened citizenry free from narrow and parochial feelings. Here, children were given freedom and platform to express their ideas and creativity.

OBJECTIVES :
The subject matter of the magazine was formulated on a sound philosophical, sociological and scientific footing. The magazine soughed to implement the above philosophy with the following objectives:

1. To increase new wisdom in context of utility of resources.
2. To aid in the development of resource-based literature for children in the rural and semi urban areas of the hills.
3. To make reading as an entertaining activity.
4. To improve and develop reading and writing abilities of children.
5. To develop future entrepreneurship in children through resource based eco-friendly activities.
6. To provide a platform to children for creative activities and to promote their own culture.
7. To built communication networking among children through "BKA".
8. To develop holistic and cultural relativistic approach in children.

STUDY AREA:
Rural Children of the nearby villages of Dehradun were the immediate target group and children from rural parts of Uttarakhand, other states of India were the distant target group. Children also disseminated information in schools, to teachers and to the whole society. The children awareness spread quickly in the community as a whole.

The newsletter was being dispatched to 1500 villages by post and read by approximately 10,000 children and community all over India. Children shared the magazines with their peer groups. The magazine was read in the remote and rural villages of Uttarakhand including Tehri, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pauri, Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Uttarakashi, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Almora and Nainital. Besides, children from other states like H.P., J&K, Delhi, Rajasthan, Agra, Maharashtra, M.P., Andhra Pradesh, Calcutta, Orissa and Assam showed interest in reading the magazine.

METHODOLOGY :
The approach of the paper was simple, meticulous and organized. The main features were:

1. In 2003 the newspaper was registered to get discount postage prices from postal department. When the newspaper was started it was published monthly but since 2005 it is being published bimonthly. It is a handwritten magazine in Hindi. The title "BKA" was kept to attract children and create curiosity in them for the magazine.
2. The paper had 8 pages. Readers of the magazine were active participant and recipients too, as they were not only receiving knowledge but were also sharing their experience, views, thoughts and creativity with the magazine through letters.
3. The paper was being circulated in rural and remote parts of mountains besides being circulated in other states of India.
4. Regular forward and backward linkages were established with children.
5. The subject matter of "BKA" was need based, based on local resources, traditional wisdom, suiting children's capabilities, invoking creativity, eco friendly and earlier acquaintance of children with the subject matter.

The hallmarks of the "BKA" that carried a distinctly different flavor were like holism, cultural relativism, scientific attitude and intellectual values. Along with "BKA" imparted multifarious values like intellectual, utilitarian, vocational, cultural, moral and aesthetic to the individual, as well as the society. Training in scientific method, development of scientific attitudes, psychological values and development of creativity were other features of the newspaper. The holistic approach of the magazine signifies the attempt to incorporate knowledge from every possible sphere into a meaningful understanding of humanity. The holistic approach tried to train the children to view his niche of study from all possible angles.

The paper will try to help rural children not only to understand genetic differences, but also cultural differences i.e. variations in ways of life. For an objective study and assessment of other cultures, one has to cultivate a strong sense of neutrality. Cultural relativism is the principle that all cultural patterns are equally valid and hence every culture or any part of a culture should be viewed in terms of its own logic and rational. It implies that one should not judge others by our own standards. Cultural relativism opens new vistas and avenues of knowledge, besides helping us to be more tolerant towards others. Our youths today have intellectual and scientific knowledge, but most of them lack holistic and cultural relativistic approach, which is the need of the hour. For the development of a complete personality, a person should have intellectual, scientific, social, cultural and moral values as a whole in his personality. He should have the capacity to adapt and adjust to the surrounding environmental and social changes.

Children disseminated the message learnt from the magazine to their friends, neighbors and parents. They were motivated to make "chain of friends" i.e. each child will be responsible to aware his five friends on what he has learnt from the magazine. This way each child proposed to educate five children so that knowledge passes on from children to children. The mission was "Knowledge Empowerment" of children. Time to time children interviews and successful case studies were published in the magazine to encourage and motivate children. Besides, distant children too got aware of the activities.

From the center name "Bachcho Ka Sansar"(BKS) situated at village Miyanwala, block Doiwala in Dehradun resource based activities were imparted to children. The nearby schools were rope in with the center and magazines handed to school libraries and classes. Often, nearby children came to "BKS" to collect their magazines by hand. Fairs, workshops and exhibitions were other source of dissemination to reach new children. The feedback received from children, parents, teachers and visitors were evaluated at regular intervals in order to know their use and effect on children. Often meetings with children of nearby villages/schools were organized to create awareness and get their feedback.

Information on important plants of Uttarakhand highlighting habit, habitat, economic and ecological values and the income generating activities based on particular plant resource was regular feature of the magazine. To make information interesting and attractive sketches and story telling techniques was used. Stories were illustrated with diagrams, sketches and pictures.

A playful approach was adopted so that physical and social skills of children get developed. Parallel activities like practical work on incense making, natural dye extraction, herbarium making, paper recycling, hydroponics, dehydrated floral craft, bio craft, paper sculpture, prepare saplings, organic composting etc. were conducted with nearby children to develop their interest, increase level of aspiration and self concept. Besides, they were also demonstrated in the magazine to make distant children aware of the ongoing activities. Awareness on ecological, economical and scientific use of the resources will prepare children to apply this knowledge in their daily life.

The methods used to collect children views, interest and perception was through questionnaire, case studies, interviews, participant and non-participant observations. Sometimes quasi-participant methods were used. Along with children, their parents and grand parents were regular reader of the magazine. Children were important tool in spreading the knowledge to the community. Teachers and schools also played an important role in passing the message and increasing the circulation.

BACHCHO KA AKHBAR (BKA): The "BKA" contains 8 pages. The contents of the newspaper were evenly distributed under different headings (Box 1)

Box 1: Columns in the magazine highlighting different activities

The editor composed 50-60% content whereas, children shared 40-50% content. Children were not passive recipients, rather were an active participant in the magazine. In correspondent column, children were correspondents of their region and sent local, special and unique news/stories/incidents of their area. This way, each zone of the hill, had child correspondents, who regularly sent news of their area. Kitchen column was also included. Here in it, children were taught how to make nutritious and value added food items. Competitive column tied the children with the Akhbar and revealed their thoughts/views/interests. Their participation was encouraging and the Akhbar inspired them a lot. The newspaper helped in initiating children to express their opinions. A survey was conducted in village Pali of district Tehri Garhwal. The magazine was used as an intervention package here to found out the impact of the package on children's behavior, views, expressions and personality as a whole. Few resource-based activities were also conducted with these children.

Children mostly write about their likes/dislikes, gave write-ups like poems, jokes and some news or information. Sometimes their letter expressed anger, love, demand and friendship. They shared their day-to-day activities also.

Table No. 2 showing feelings of children on receiving "BKA" by post. (Based on survey at Pali village)

Source: Children Letter Files

IMPACT:
(Based on children feedback from letters)

It was observed that "BKA" was an encouraging and successful tool in fulfilling children emotional and expression needs. Children letters highlighted their eagerness, curiosity and love for the magazine. Majority of the children expressed in their letter that they were doing it for the first time in their life. The magazine content helps them in their studies and knowledge. Children appreciated the science column and tried to give material for the column. The creative column appeased the curiosity of children and provided desired information. Children letter depicted that the paper was like a friend to them and they feel like they are with their friend while reading it.

It was revealed that children narrated the interesting articles in the magazine to their parents. They often shared and discussed the articles in the magazine with their grandfather and mother. The parents and teachers expressed their happiness to see their children interested in reading the magazine and getting enlightened. The postman of few villages reiterated to the editor that when they visit the village children surrounds them and ask for magazine. It was noticed that children complained to the editor when they did not get magazine on time or at their own name. Children disseminated news from magazine to school, teachers and to everyone they knew.

The magazine gave an outlet to children and motivated them to express their views, feelings and thoughts. The friendly approach of the magazine tied children with it and a sense of communication was initiated. Articles on science column and resource based stories were aimed to develop scientific attitude and entrepreneurial skills/knowledge in children. The children too shared their write-ups for this column. Interested children asked editor to post G.K. and science books for them. Approximately in 63 villages of Chamoli, 60 villages of Tehri Garhwal and 25 villages of Pauri Garhwal circulation of magazine was found maximum (Box 2). The demand for the magazine and increasing number of children write-ups highlighted the beginning of writing and reading skill in children, which was not before.

A strong relationship of children with the magazine was noticed through their letters. A change in attitude of children was felt. Earlier they used to ask for help but slowly it diminished. A feeling of responsibility was realized in children. They tried to solve their problems themselves and did not mentioned about it in their meetings and letters.

Children enjoyed reading and later, the number of pages in the magazine increased on their demand. In the correspondent column children contribution were religious temples and aesthetic beauties of their area. Their letters highlighted fairs and festivals of their region and cultural religious values attached to them. Few children reported social problems of their villages like child marriage, alcoholism, fodder fuel collection, electricity, temporary infrastructure of school, lack of sports and games in schools, leakage of school building, lack of drinking water and attack of wild animals while going to school, etc. Few children shared their interventions with the editor and requested to give them space in the magazine. Besides children discussed their personal problems and requested not to mention in the newspaper.

Children mentioned, that earlier no one asked them what they would like to become when they grow up? The magazine initiated this thought in them. When asked to write about their views on indicators of rich and poor in the village. The responses matched to the local circumstances and needs. Like, one child said a poor man has no water pipe or pump set of his own. Another said, no one respects a poor whereas everyone respects a rich. The views were based on experiences also. 32% children wrote letter often to the editor whereas 50% wrote occasionally and 18% never took the pain to write the letter (based on the survey done with the children of village Pali Table No. 1). The frequency of writing letter also depended on the availability of letter/stamp and the school schedule mentioned in children's letter. A rating was done to know the interest of children on the subject matter of "BKA". It was found that the highest score was for science column and khozu bhaiya (world wide science based information). Children also appreciated children letters, competition column, poems and jokes. 48% children felt very proud to get the magazine by post and 32% felt very good and 20% felt good (See Table No. 2). They reported that when they go to school or meet their friends, they feel pride to show the magazine to their friends. Sometimes, the children who did not get magazine fought with others in depression. Of course things settle later when others used to give them for reading. They also wrote to editor for being guilty on their act.
The magazine tried to fulfill several children's needs. The sense of ownership for the magazine was observed intensely in children. They found great pleasure on seeing their write-ups in the magazine and their parents and friends appreciated and encouraged them to write more. When their write-ups appear in the magazine they feel pride for their writings and also are aspired to write for other issues.

Earlier they had no open platform where they could express themselves and could try one's talents and abilities. Here they were free to do so. The magazine gave them an independent thinking, creativity and development of personal sense of values. The editor honored the style and colour of their language, paintings, illustrations and other forms of expression, which made them confident. This realized them that their work and creativity was honored. The magazine motivated the level of aspiration and also enhanced sense of planning and judgment which children lacked earlier.

The magazine had both immediate and distant target group. The immediate target were children of nearby villages and the distant target group were children from other parts of Uttarakhand and other states. "BKA" initiated and sensitized a small group of children but the popularity made its horizon wider and a strong network of children was the result. There is a collection of approximately 4000 children letters filed in Letter File since 1996 onwards. The number highlights children network built with the magazine, the sincerity, responsibility and truthfulness of children to reply and express their views.

Few readers based in Dehradun reported that their teacher gave them home assignment to read the magazine and answer few questions based on the magazine. Few readers reported the information was helpful in their studies and alleviated their knowledge. Few readers off Himachal wrote that in their village every child is reader of the Akhbar and share the magazine with their peer groups and neighbors. Sometime children enquire their queries through telephone with the editor. It was observed from the year wise letters received from girls that their interest and participation was increasing slowly (see Table No.3).

The magazine appreciated the ability of children to learn at their own pace. Children letters highlighted curiosity regarding editor's work and studies. Some children showed interest to work with her. One child had written one book and wanted editors help to publish it. Children showed interest in sowing flower seeds and asked to send them. They shared the feelings they experience while seeing their plants growing and flowering. Children also shared their personal problems and asked for their solutions.

CONCLUSION:
Mountain environment has natural resources and children are close to them since birth. Therefore resource based education particularly regional resource is the most important area where children should be exposed. The study also concludes that once children are exposed to this, it realizes future citizen that resources can be mainstay of their economy. To guard them properly and use them sustain ably can be their future goal. This can also realize them that the future source of their economy can be local resource rather than a poor job in the other areas. Moreover traditional wisdom coupled with new must be though together. This will help in easy acceptability with relatively better output. Traditional knowledge brings sense of belonging and newer methods affect the output and knowledge.

Along with it there is a definite and urgent need of smooth communication with children particularly in rural context. The present education system briefs children in the areas of basics but it initiate in no way professionalism in them. There must be a communication, which should be bilateral, where besides children being acquainted with local knowledge on various issues, should also be made to reciprocate. They should be incited to respond to the communication by way of their capabilities, curiosity etc. Such an approach highlights socio-cultural, economic and anthropological opinion of children. Such communication besides, keeping children enlightened, also keep them elated. Since, in rural India, particularly in mountain there is weak source of information, entertainment and feed back mechanism for children, a pleasant communication system must be established. This can be in the form of a monthly newspaper or magazine. It should cover all issues related to children present and future prospect, this is realized in this study.

It is noticed that rural children are elated with any intervention done to promote especially for them. It increases their self-concept value, level of aspiration and confidence. There must be continuous efforts to involve children in the task of understanding their environment resources and livelihood.

REFERENCES:
1. Chawla, L.and Annu Kjorhoit, 1996.Children as special citizens.PLA Notes26,IIED.

2. Convention on The Rights of the Child, Country Report, India 1997. Deptt. of Women and Child Development, GOI.

3. Giri, D.K., 2001.Defining Technology for Rural Development for the 21stCentury. Kurukshetra. A journal on Rural Development, pp.2-6, October.

4. Gupta, V.S., 2001. Literacy and Technology for Rural Development- Mutal Relationship. Kurukshetra. A journal on Rural Development, pp.2529,October.

5. Sharma, Sudha,2002. Empowerment of Children:An Action Anthropological Study in Garhwal Himalaya. Thesis, H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar, Uttarakhnad,pp.217-220.


HIMALAYI BACHCHO KA AKHBAR An Initiative for Mountain Children

Studies on children have mainly been in the area of culture and personality, growth studies, education and malnutrition. Traditionally, concern about children has been limited to merely providing for their well being. The focus has been more on there needs rather then their rights.

"Bachcho Ka Akhbar" is an effort that focuses upon tapping the potential of rural children. This activity for children is initiated in order to sensitize them and refine their resource awareness, science popularization, environmental knowledge, health, socio cultural issues and entrepreneurial skills. In getting children interested in reading for leisure, pleasure, knowledge and fun Akhbar is a tool through which learning takes place through entertainment. Akhbar also provides children the freedom to express their ideas.

In hills we lack largely human resource that are threatened to be unavailable in the future if the present phenomenon continues. Need of the hour is to find an alternative strategy to prepare human resources for the welfare of the mountains. The only possibility to sustain regional, ecological and economical issues is to prepare human resource for such a mission. The "Bachcho ka Akhbar" is a helping hand in this mission and will encourage children for an organised approach in the future.

"Bachcho ka Akhbar" has been a means of communication for the rural children in the hills and popularizes plant resources and science and technology. Here, the means of entertainment and recreation, especially for children are very poor. This newspaper is a package of entertainment, awareness and knowledge as a whole. The paper tries to liberate children from many fallacies and misnomers and also try to explore the myth of Social and cultural superiority. It also incorporates, ways of thinking about the world as we conceive of it, discipline the readers as critical thinkers and at the same time provide them with intellectual equipment to enable them to open their minds so that they can contemplate new concepts, ideas and facts. Thus "Bachcho ka Akhbar" will contribute to the formation of an enlightened citizenry free from narrow and parochial feelings. They are given freedom to express their ideas and creativity.

The hallmarks that help "Bachcho Ka Akhbar" carry a distinctly different flavor?

Holism
Cultural relativism
Scientific attitude and aptitude
Intellectual values

"Bachcho ka Akhbar" also imparts multifarious values to the individual as well as the society like:
Intellectual value, Utilitarian value, Vocational value, Cultural value, Moral value, Aesthetic value, Training in the scientific method, Development of scientific attitudes, Psychological values and Development of creativity.

All of these are the approaches or set of themes that make the Akhbar unique. Besides these, the Akhbar will popularise science, impart training in the scientific method and develop scientific attitudes. The introduction of science is very valuable and at the same time is transferable to other situations in life.

Communication in hills is not strong. Improving communication can be made possible by three major actions.

Periodical communication through paper
Regular meetings
Feedback and updating

OBJECTIVES
Following are the objectives:

To aid in the development of better balanced literature on science for children in the rural and semi urban areas
To make reading as an entertaining activity
Improve reading and writing ability of children
To built strong communication networking with the children
To increase new wisdom in the context of utility of resources
To inculcate socio-cultural and moral values
To increase children's opportunities for creative development and to promote their own culture
To incorporate holistic and cultural relativistic approach in children

The objective of popularising "Bachcho Ka Akhbar" in the mountain and as a case study in Garhwal Himalaya is formulated on sound philosophical, sociological and scientific footings.

METHODOLOGY
The methodological approach of the paper is as below:

"Bachcho Ka Akhbar" was published monthly and now bimonthly
The paper contains eight pages. Here children are active participants and recipients as they not only receive knowledge but also share their experiences, views, thoughts and creativity with the Akhbar.
The paper is circulated allover India
Regular forward and backward linkages are established

The subject matter of Bachcho Ka Akhbar is:
Need based
Based on local resources
Encourage children's capabilities
Invoke creativity
Eco-friendly
Children's earlier acquaintance
Creating child correspondents

There is no watertight compartment in the Akhbar regarding the subject matter. The selection of the subject matter paces with time, interest and participation of the children.

We live in the information age where communication holds the key to overall human development. Be it electronic or print, a lot of information is generated each moment and yet there seems to be a void. Because we rarely get the information of our choice and interest. It is true more with the children of rural and remote areas.

Information, to our mind is a two-way channel. Children are made aware through Bachcho Ka Akhbar that we, a lot more, should also receive if something flows from us, a lot more by us.

In the context of Bachcho Ka Akhbar, each individual/child is viewed as a source of information. Each moment, a host of events occur around us that are rarely reported by the conventional media or are unseen. Don't wait for the newsman to reach the spot; a child himself could be the newsman. Let the reporter within you wake up. This is the objective behind correspondent column in Bachcho Ka Akhbar. The child whose participation in sending news for correspondent column is high is given a correspondent card to honor his right of expression. Besides, readers of Bachcho Ka Akhbar are used to voicing their views through feed back columns and their letters. Children freely share information, which they think, can benefit others. From the heavy readings of the preceding pages, the children are taken into the world of snippets. In selecting the subject matter, children are kept in mind. Bachcho Ka Akhbar not only looks forward to children views while selecting, but their contribution also.

Bachcho Ka Akhbar is a mission to empower children to help themselves.