Traveling to a new place is always exciting, but at the beginning one never knows what is going to happen or whom one is going to meet. It can be nerve wracking when you first leave home and plunge into an unknown situation. In the case of Sri Lanka I feel very lucky because I ended up meeting kind hearted and helpful people who have taught me many things about the culture and what it means to truly be part of a community.

I have had the opportunity to spend most of my time in Sri Lanka with the staff of Kothmale FM, a small yet very effective community radio station. I originally found Kothmale FM through Dr. Samarasinghe, a professor of economics at Tulane University's School of Public Health. Dr. Samarasinghe, a Sri Lankan himself, has brought several students from the Tulane University over the last couple of years to learn about conflict, democracy, and sustainable development in a Sri Lankan context. Dr. Samarasinghe also gave each student the opportunity to do an internship somewhere within the country at a place of interest. My friend and fellow student Paige Passano and I decided to work at Kothmale FM radio station to assist in producing a radio drama that incorporates health issues. We decided to do this because of our interest in how the radio (as well as other forms of media) can be used to promote good health behaviors.

Before arriving in Sri Lanka, I was not sure how everything would work out. A radio drama seemed like a lot to accomplish in the small amount of time that Paige and I would be in Sri Lanka. Fortunately, when we arrived at the station for the first time and discussed our ideas with the members of the Kothmale staff, the ideas were well received and a commitment to help in any way possible was extended to us right away. Not only that, but the infrastructure of the station was already set up, which made our work very easy. For example, there are many actors and people who have expertise in radio dramas, as well as an excellent scriptwriter. In fact, everyone, from the controller (or director) to the volunteers offered their help in any way possible. In this way, the drama became a group project done by all members of the radio station, not just a project that Paige and I started on our own.

At the radio station, there are four permanent employees-one controller, one person who cleans and two technical officers, as well as many relief employees who do part time work and are paid by the hour. The controller, made it clear to me from the beginning that each relief worker is considered to be a broadcaster. He distinguished the term "broadcaster" from the term "announcer" by pointing out that each employee was responsible for more than simply announcing programs- each employee should feel that they can also develop and produce their own programs and have the freedom to grow career wise while working at the station. Unfortunately, because of the nature of community radio, each employee does not receive much money and some broadcasters are required to take on one, two, or even three other jobs just to sustain themselves and their families. This situation really saddens me when I think about all of the incredible work that each broadcaster does, and what each one brings to the station. As in the United States, or almost anywhere else in the world, the people who do good work for the community at large are often not rewarded monetarily.
The Kothmale community radio station is an interesting place and stands out because of its unique nature. First of all, although it is funded mostly by the Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), it is not political in nature. In fact, one of the reasons that the radio station is struggling so much monetarily is because it never takes bribes from political parties or organizations that would require it to lose freedom in terms of community programming. Also, the members of the radio station are always invited to weddings, funerals, and other important occasions occurring within the community. This is because the community truly feels that the radio station is part of them-they also feel ownership of the radio station.

The community members always feel free to give suggestions or even create their own radio programs. One example of this is when a shop owner suggested to the controller that a one hour program about songs from movies would be a good idea and popular for listeners. The controller explained that the radio station did not have many songs from movies, nor did they have the money to buy more music at that time. The shop owner said that he had a collection of songs from movies that he could lend to the station. The controller then suggested that the shop owner should be the announcer and producer of the program. At first the shop owner felt shy and did not want to do it, but he eventually agreed and he not only produced the radio program, but he broadcast it on a loud speaker at his shop for all to hear and he continued to promote the radio station because he felt a part of it himself.

The radio station has also been used as a way to get information and technology to people who normally cannot access it. For example, it has successfully used its programming to allow listeners to call in and ask questions that can be looked up on the internet. The broadcasters then look up the information and translate the information into Sinhala or Tamil. In this way, the barrier of inaccessibility of information for the rural population in the community is lessened considerably.

The radio station also does its best to promote environmental projects. For example, some businessmen suggested that the radio station cover a community clean up day, whereby everyone cleans the environment surrounding their own homes. The radio station broadcasters could conduct interviews as the day progresses and talk with people about environmental issues. This day has not happened yet, but the plans are there to make it happen. The radio station even encouraged its young volunteers to form the Young Green Network, an environmental youth group that meets at the radio station itself and often does radio programs concerning environmental issues.

The volunteers of the radio station are young members who come to learn about the radio station and do their part to help it run. The regular volunteers have had the opportunity to learn about computers and technology available at the radio station. Many have even learned skills such as web designing and are able to teach computer skills to others. It is unfortunate that these young and enthusiastic volunteers cannot be paid for the extensive number of work hours that they put into the station- again in community radio, the funds just are not there to pay people what they deserve. Although the volunteers love the radio station and enjoy the time that they spend there, they know that one day they will need to leave and make money to help their parents or other relatives. The volunteers give a fresh perspective to the station and it would be nice if some source of funding could be found so that many of them could stay on permanently.

I think that under the circumstances (in terms of low funding), Kothmale FM is doing its absolute best to succeed. The only thing that I could suggest as an outside observer is that the station promote harmony among the ethnic groups by including more Tamil programs and hiring more announcers that can speak both Sinhala and Tamil. Although many Tamils can understand Sinhala, many cannot and would benefit greatly from the types of programs that Kothmale FM normally produces. Most of the Tamil programs include news or music requests, but there are very few other types of programs that can be found in Tamil. The growing number of Tamil and Muslim volunteers are helping to change this somewhat, but there seems to be a long way to go in terms of making the programming equal.

I also feel that the radio station could be used to get discussions going between members of different groups within society as to facilitate a harmony between the groups in this time of peace. Although it does not want to be and should not be political, the radio station could facilitate in the de-segregation of every day people. It is wonderful to see the way that the Tamil, Muslim, and Sinhala volunteers interact with each other off the air in such a familiar way. It would also be great to see this on the air- as an example to others- that members of all ethnic groups can and should interact together in their daily lives.

As a public health student from the United States, I also have some particular observations. I know that I have grown up in a different culture and I am understanding of the culture as it is here, but one thing that I have noticed is the shyness in just speaking about issues concerning sex- even when only talking in medical terms- not in terms of male or female intricate relationships. I feel that although it is a cultural taboo, the radio station could perhaps facilitate in disseminating more health related information in various ways. When sexual issues are not talked about at all within a culture, the spread of AIDS or other STDs can more rapid throughout the population. Although the STD rates are currently low in Sri Lanka, epidemics can start very suddenly and quickly anywhere in the world. This has happened in many countries that have not taken preventative measures early on. The radio station could have male and female call in shows (separately) and people could either call in and ask questions or send anonymous postcards with particular questions that health professionals including doctors, nurses, and midwives could answer on the air.

Overall, my experience at Kothmale FM has taught me a great deal. Although I have come here to work and somehow share the knowledge that I have, I feel like I have received more knowledge and experience than I have given. The radio drama is progressing well, thanks to the Kothmale staff and I feel lucky to be here working with everyone, even if it is just for a couple of months. I will of course make sure to keep in touch with everyone at the station in the future and will tell anyone who will listen in the United States about the successes of the Kothmale Community radio station.