Soldier launches radio station in Afghanistan

Captain Richard Jakeman has come up with a new way of building relations between the Afghan people and British troops.

The Territorial Army officer, from Radlett, has launched a radio station after being asked to come up with a way of strengthening the relationship between the military and key community figures in Helmand Province.

Captain Jakeman, from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, started Radio Nad e Ali and gave more than 200 windup radios to the local population and now they can hear programmes on healthcare, catch the latest Pashtu and Indian music and listen to an Afghan DJ.

He told the St Albans and Harpenden Review that the fact that Afghans can listen to the radio shows the progress made by the Army.

"It is thanks to the security improvements made by ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] troops that the people have the confidence to listen to the radio without fear of insurgent intimidation," he said.

This is just one effort designed to win hearts and minds and follows the work of Captain Miles Malone, who last year set up a veterinary clinic for Afghan farmers.

Posted by Mark Wilkins