A new reality TV show has begun airing in Afghanistan for the purpose of encouraging its citizens to start their own enterprises. The show, “Fikr wa Talash” (translated as “Dream and Achieve”) is based on the British “Dragon’s Den” series where contestants pitch their business ideas to a panel of loaded tycoons looking to invest their money in a fresh entrepreneurial thought.
The program is merely the latest in a line of reality television shows that have become quite popular in the Middle Eastern country. This particular show is aimed to be “more than entertainment,” however. It is suspected to help the country’s economy become more self-reliant. After decades of war have thrashed the country’s infrastructure, Afghanistan has become one of the world’s poorest countries, despite billions of dollars in aid money since 2001. At present, the country relies 90 percent on aid for its total budget. Unemployment is around 40 percent, and 80 percent of Afghanistan’s labor force is employed in agriculture.
“Small and medium-sized businesses, which are by far the largest employer, be it small self-employed farmers selling a surplus or a shop-keeper, trader…are the key to achieving such self-reliance,” said David Elliot, a development consultant for the program.
The show combines business savvy, financial planning, marketing, and competitive strategy--all of which a successful candidate must have to make a deal with the judges. It’s first season ended last month with the final contestant, Faizulhaq Moshkani, winning 20,000 dollars to use towards his plastic recycling business.
Moshkani shut down his factory due to the high cost of fuel to power generators. The prize money will allow him to “move the business to Kabul where he plans to build a mini hydroelectric plant to power the new recycling factory.” (Reuters) The program airs on Tolo TV, the most popular channel in Afghanistan, which also airs Afghan Star. (National version of American Idol)
In the past, Afghan broadcasting has been partially banned by the Taliban, and women have had little to no rights for over 30 years. The show’s five contestants included an ex-warlord who had “laid down his guns to start up a diary.” When the contestant walked in, three women sat in front of cameras asking him questions. Mariam Al Ahmadi, a 25-year old mother of five, won the runner up money of 10,000 dollars. She can now make her fresh produce business bigger. Women who appear on the program still wear their veil in regards to their Muslim religion. “Every Afghan woman can work under Islamic law,” Mariam says, so they are not looked down upon for appearing on such a show.
Because of the show’s balance between modern and traditional worlds, the show’s producers believe it could quite possibly change the Afghan community’s outlook. Tolo is working on a second season and also plans to track the winners of this season’s progress.
