DW program goes mobile in Afghanistan

In cooperation with Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC), German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) has now made the successful educational program Learning by Ear available via mobile phone in Afghanistan.

With more than 17 million mobile phone owners in Afghanistan, DW’s cooperation with AWCC will help to expand the reach of the educational program. “This new service appeals to a younger, more mobile target audience,” says Anne Hufnagel, head of distribution for Asia at DW. “We expect and are looking forward to a significant increase in the number of listeners.”

Mobile users can call up the service free of charge from anywhere in Afghanistan. They can then select the Learning by Ear episode they want to hear from an audio menu, and have the choice of listening to content in either Dari or Pashto. The dial-up service currently offers 10 episodes of “Becoming Afghanistan’s Superstar,” a program that explores the extraordinary story of a young girl who struggles to participate in Afghanistan’s song contest.

Learning by Ear radio dramas examine the everyday challenges faced by young people, offering practical advice along the way. Launched in 2009, the educational program is supported by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and is available via radio and on the Internet. With the support of partner stations such as Radio Ariana and Radio Nawa, the series has become a hit among young adults and teens.