Due to the sensitivity of this issue, faces are blurred to protect identities of local workers Brickmaker factory owners in South Asia are notorious for their mistreatment of workers. Despite official legal protection, many families are trapped through oppressive bonded labour arrangements. Amplifying Voices Pakistan and their new local partner, Community Media Power, visited brickmaking…

When we work in and with communities, one of our animating principles is: “Start with what’s strong, not with what’s wrong,” which, by the way is the subject of a great TED talk by Cormac Russell. The principle is simple: instead of trying to right what’s wrong within a community, Cormac argues that we need…

For many years Sangeetha has suffered from coughing and shortness of breath, like many of her friends in Kahandol village in central Maharashtra. During a medical camp last year, Doctor Chavan told her she had a smoke-related illness called “Dama” (asthma).  He condition had been caused by years of breathing in the thick smoke from…

The New Hope team in Juharabad held a first aid training event for young people in their community this week. Representatives from the government’s 1122 Rescue team gave the training. There were around 35 participants at the event. This is an unusual opportunity for young people in this community and will provide a valuable skill…

The news from Seva, our partner in Maharashtra, India, is that despite Covid-19 spreading rapidly even in the most remote Adivasi villages, communities that have speakerboxes programmes are resisting the worst of the pandemic through robust hygiene practice and vaccine readiness. In Dhule district, Seva had trained a team from another partner organisation (much the…

Amplifying Voices Pakistan were recently invited to Nowshera in KPK by an enthusiastic group of socially-minded people who want to learn what community-centred media is all about.

“It’s the most important public health message that is now becoming famous all over Nashik,” Shilpa told me, as they placed more speakerboxes in clinics across the city at the invitation of the Municipal Corporation. Which message is that, I asked. “That we love our neighbour as ourselves,” she said. “On top of all the…

Amplifying Voices Pakistan is supporting a church youth group in Punjab to develop a community-centred media project called New Hope. Following training at the end of last year and early this year, the youth group have been making regular podcasts that they distribute over WhatsApp, addressing local social issues. Hazeen Latif told us how pleased…

As the Indian health system buckles under the strain of a Corona virus surge that has eclipsed anywhere else in the world, our partners in Maharashtra say the pandemic is now rapidly impacting remote Adivasi (indigenous) communities. Adivasi Voices Project leader, Shilpa says that while the pandemic has greatly affected the livelihoods of tribal people,…

As far back as she can remember, Sunita has been collecting water for her family. Instead of playing as a carefree child, she had to walk to the river, fill up large vessels, and carry them back to the small Maharashtran village of Kobada, India. This arduous task would become one of her lifetime duties.…