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In 1986, right around August, I was surfing on the radio dial for cool music to listen. I came upon a blip of sound bite from one of my former volunteer, Mr. Yee Vue. It sounds like Hmong language I thought. I have tried to surf back to the dial but could not tune in for a while and then I finally did by tune in the dial and turning the radio antenna to different directions. I heard Yee Vue gave out the contact telephone # and an invitation message. I called him right away and he answered my call. I’ve asked him if he needed any volunteer at the time. Yee said yes, but I have to contact his cousin Lue Vue for more information as far as training and volunteer opportunity. I called Lue Vue and he gave me direct to go to his work office. I was sitting by Lue Vue every week during the Hmong Wameng program show until I was trained and certified to be a radio telephone operator before touching any equipment. As I recall, it was near the end of October, 1986. I have been with KFAI since that time with the exception of being away for 6 months in 1988 for school and 1 year in 1993-94 for a research project oversea. I have been a volunteer for Hmong Wameng Radio Program from 1986 to 1991 and then for Hmong-American Reachout Radio Program (HARRP)which was approved by the programming committee in 1990. During the year of 1991-1995 I have participate on the live broadcast of Hmong new year celebration from the St. Paul Civic Center and on the first year of Hmong New year celebration in Minneapolis at the Metro Dome in 1995. Since then, I have cut back on the community activities and focusing on what is best and most interested for the community. HARRP program has shifted its focus into the talk show format which half of the time per month has been deligated to Hmong-American Partnership, a social service non-profit organization to produce a two weeks show per month focussing on domestic violence prevention and health disparity issues within the community. For other weeks are designated as Edutalk and Healthtalk and Hmong history. Here is the lay-out of the program guide: First and third week of the month are Domestic violence Prevention and Health disparity; second week is Edutalk; and fourth week is HealthTalk. A few months of the year that have a fifth week in the month would designated to be Hmong history and/or other educational information. If you have any questions about this program or the history of the KFAI and HARRP please feel free to contact me at 651-472-2858 or send an email to Shoua at [email protected]. or write to Hmong-American Reachout Radio Program (HARRP) c/o KFAI 1808 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454. Please be brief and accurate to your interest. Thank you.

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