STAR celebrates the girl child with Laadli Week

STAR Plus recently launched a new show called Sabki Laadli Bebo, a story of a family whose life revolves around Bebo, a girl child born to them after three sons. As the family celebrates the occasion with happiness, the channel announced a Laadli Week to celebrate the girl children of India. The channel has entered into a tie up with Project Nanhi Kali of the KC Mahindra Educational Trust for the initiative.

Anupam Vasudev, executive vice-president, marketing, STAR India, says, “This is being done as part of our launch activity. The girl child in this country has been highly neglected and through this week and our association with Nanhi Kali, we want to celebrate the special bonding that only a girl can bring into a family.”

The channel, according to Vasudev, was looking for NGOs which were already working in this field and shortlisted the Mahindra Group project after observing that it is trying to educate and develop the girl child. Project Nanhi Kali, initiated in 1996 and jointly managed with Naandi Foundation, is a national sponsorship programme where individuals and corporates can sponsor the education of a girl child.

“Therefore, a positive image of women in the media assumes great importance. We are both happy and grateful to be associating with STAR – a channel which has, through various shows, depicted strong, independent women who are self reliant.”

Mehta says that the project has already covered 49,000 girls in urban, rural as well as tribal India, with an aim to touch 1,00,000 girls in all.

The week, from April 13-17, will essentially focus on underprivileged girl children of India. It will educate and involve the audience by creating awareness about Project Nanhi Kali and generating funds for it from viewers. This will be done through promotions on all the network channels, and also through radio, print and outdoor media.

The channel will also run a contest on a radio station (the operator hasn't been decided as yet) wherein the viewers will be asked to send in pictures of their daughters, along with a message for them. The best messages will be aired on the show during the entire Laadli Week.

Apart from awareness creating activities during the Laadli Week, the channel is also sponsoring 600 girl children and will also aid the project throughout by providing media support. The channel is also working towards making Laadli Week an annual property.