When Ehsan Bayat founded Afghan Wireless Communication Company in 2002 and established the Ariana Television Network (ATN) just three years later, he sought to fill the nation’s need for a reliable telecommunications network and enriching cultural programming. He hoped to support and empower Afghan communities by providing them with the tools to connect with one another, the global community, and their own heritage. Since founding these firms, the Afghan entrepreneur has leveraged the resources of both companies, as well as the charitable nonprofit Bayat Foundation, in order to meet the more basic needs of Afghan communities.
In recent years, the Bayat Foundation, Afghan Wireless, and the Ariana Television Network have partnered to carry out various humanitarian initiatives throughout Afghanistan, leveraging their diverse capabilities to aid communities across the country. The Bayat Foundation falls within the scope of Afghan Wireless’ corporate social responsibility platform, and employees from both AWCC and ATN regularly volunteer to help bring about meaningful change through Bayat Foundation initiatives, particularly in the area of public health.
Promoting Diabetes Awareness and Prevention
Diabetes currently impacts over 400 million people around the world. Its prevalence among adults aged 18 and over has steadily increased over the past 30 years, rising from 4.7 percent in 1980 to 8.5 percent in 2014.
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Diabetes is the result of the body’s inability to either produce or effectively use insulin to regulate blood sugar, which can result in serious and permanent side effects, including blindness, cardiac arrest, and kidney failure. Although it is both manageable and preventable, the disease remains a leading cause of death among adults worldwide, and it is increasingly common in developing nations.
For World Diabetes Day on November 14, 2015, the Bayat Foundation and Ariana Television and Radio partnered to produce public service announcements focusing on diabetes. The public awareness campaign included information on the most prevalent risk factors for diabetes, such as obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. It also provided simple tips for diabetes prevention. According to the World Health Organization, lifestyle changes as simple as maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly can significantly reduce a person’s chance of developing diabetes.
Regular screening is an extremely important step toward preventing the disease and its side effects. The Bayat Group’s awareness campaign also offered valuable tips for detecting signs of diabetes, as well as resources for those seeking medical attention.
In addition to its public service announcements, ATN also produced two educational TV specials. The programs featured doctors and real patients, who discussed strategies for staying in good health and, ultimately, preventing the onset of diseases such as diabetes. Complementing these shows, Afghan wireless and the Bayat Foundation aired seven television commercials promoting diabetes awareness and implemented an SMS campaign in Dari that informed customers about World Diabetes Day.
Supporting National Handwashing Day
Image courtesy USAID U.S. Agency for International Development | Flickr
On October 28, 2015, the Bayat Group joined a nationwide initiative highlighting the importance of handwashing. Afghanistan’s National Handwashing Day promotes awareness of this simple activity as one of the best ways to prevent disease, especially when caring for others. By instructing children to wash their hands regularly, parents, teachers, and other caregivers can decrease children’s chances of contracting diarrheal diseases—one of the leading causes of death among young children—by up to 42 percent. Of course, handwashing is also a vital step during activities such as food preparation, and it should be a basic part of every personal care regimen.
National Handwashing Day in Afghanistan falls within the same month as Global Handwashing Day, an event launched by the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap in 2008. Although soap is sometimes in limited supply in developing countries, it is far more effective than water alone in defending public health. In addition to preventing the spread of childhood illness, handwashing also has the potential to prevent one out of every six respiratory infections, thus making
national and global handwashing awareness campaigns extremely important.
Giving the Gift of Hearing
Over the past two years, the Bayat Foundation, supported by volunteers from Afghan Wireless and Ariana Television Network, has worked alongside the Starkey Hearing Foundation to help Afghans living with hearing impairments. The two groups conducted their first joint medical mission in 2014, during which they provided on-site hearing-restoration treatments for both children and adults, helping many patients to hear for the first time in their lives. The mission provided hearing aids, batteries, and educational materials, in addition to offering resources for obtaining ongoing medical support.
The Bayat and Starkey Hearing foundations expanded their initiative during the fall of 2015. With the help of volunteers from Afghan Wireless, they carried out a nationwide effort that granted the gift of hearing to 1,544 children and adults across the Kabul, Herat, and Balk provinces. Medical professionals, audiologists, and Bayat Group volunteers all participated in the seven-day mission, which traveled from Herat to Kabul, establishing a final temporary hearing clinic in the headquarters of Afghan Wireless.