30 October 2008

(U.S. trip provides ideas and firsthand look at ways to expand her business)

Washington — In parts of Balkh province in northern Afghanistan where Internet and television access is limited, many people turn — or tune — to Mobina.

From two rooms in an office building in Mazar-e Sharif, Mobina operates Radio Rabea Balkhi, one of four stations in Afghanistan that were started at about the same time to provide programming for women.

Her goal is simple: raise the status of women in a country where the average life expectancy of women is 43 years, and 53 percent of the population is below the poverty line, according to the Asia Foundation, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Mobina visited the United States on October 10-28 through the Business Council for Peace, or Bpeace, an international volunteer business network that focuses on building small and medium women-run businesses to stimulate local economies in post-conflict countries.

Mobina is participating in a program that includes a trip to the U.S. for hands-on experience in new broadcast technology. She visited a number of radio stations, including the corporate headquarters of XM Satellite Radio in Washington where she spent two days learning about production and advertising.   

Mobina said through an interpreter that many small Afghan businesses do not understand the concept of advertising, although she has had success with cell phone companies that are competing for a share of the improving Afghanistan economy. At XM and elsewhere, she sought ideas that could help her convince small businesses to buy radio advertising.

She also attended a “Power of Women” luncheon held in her honor by an organization of businesswomen in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where she toured a local women’s college and visited the campus radio station. There, she sat in front of the controls and surveyed the equipment to learn about the types of technology she may need to improve her business.

Mobina is about halfway through the three-year Bpeace program. Until October, she participated in many classes, but the U.S. trip has enabled her to see firsthand much of what she had been taught and to gain practical knowledge that she can replicate in her business.

Mobina, who speaks Dari, said her trip to the U.S. has changed one of her impressions of America. Previously, she had believed it was simple to become rich in America. She said she now realizes that it’s not so easy. No matter where you live, it takes talent and hard work to compete and be successful, she said.

PROVIDING JOBS AND OPPORTUNITY

Radio Rabea Balkhi employs 25 people. They produce most of the programming on topics such as women’s rights, health and sanitation. National and international news and music are among the broadcasts. Of her employees, 18 are paid and the rest are journalism students who volunteer for the experience. Many of her previous interns have moved on to national broadcasting companies.

The station operates 18 hours a day and reaches 300,000 people across 70 to 80 kilometers (45 to 50 miles). When it started in March 2003, the station operated two hours for listeners within four kilometers (2.5 miles). A nongovernmental organization (NGO) from Canada started the four stations between 2003 and 2005 and then turned the businesses over to the women they had recruited. “They left a strong foundation,” Mobina said. All four are still operating. 

At the time the NGO arrived, Mobina was a journalism student who had an understanding of the broadcast industry but little experience. The organization secured space, provided basic equipment and taught classes to help her and the other women become self-sufficient. Later, Mobina was able to reach out to the international community to gain additional equipment and expand her station’s reach.

When the station opened, reaction from the community was harsh, she said. Men did not understand the agenda and felt threatened. As she persisted, listeners began to appreciate the helpful information, and feedback is now mostly positive. Most men understand that the information is helping their wives, mothers and sisters to raise healthier children and improve their lives, she said.

Young people and men enjoy the music and news as well as the other programs, and listeners often request specific information, which she always tries to provide, she said.

The U.S. Department of State’s Citizen Exchange Program provided funding for Mobina’s visit. The program gives participants the chance to gain knowledge and expertise to help address challenges in their countries. 

Mobina said her trip to the U.S. will have a direct impact on her station. She said the information she received will help her business grow and compete with other stations that are vying for listeners, particularly in areas where electricity is scarce. “I learned something from every radio station I have seen,” she said.