KABUL: A reality TV show broadcast in Afghanistan has encouraged Afghans to start their own enterprises, stirring entrepreneurial spirits in a country that has been ravaged by three decades of war.

The programme, Fikr wa Talash, or Dream and Achieve in English, is loosely based on the popular Dragons Den series, in which contestants pitch their business ideas to a panel of tycoons in return for cash for their companies.

The programme, the latest in a series of popular reality shows that have taken Afghanistan by storm, is more than just entertainment. Its supporters hope that by encouraging small businesses, the programme will help Afghanistans
economy become more self-reliant.

"Small and medium-sized businesses are the key to achieving such self reliance," said David Elliot, a development consultant for the programmes makers.

Reality TV shows have engrossed Afghans who in the past suffered stuffy state broadcasts and an outright ban on television under the Taliban government of the late 1990s.

Decades of war have devastated the Afghan economy it is still one of the worlds poorest countries despite receiving billions of dollars of international aid.
Source : DNA