Guatemala - Huracán de Esperanza andEmbellezcamos las Verapaces

Environmental contamination and poor health practices threaten the livelihoods of many living in rural areas of Guatemala. Native Mayans, some of whom speak only their native K’iché language make up a large part of this population. Finding a way to educate local residents, get them involved in local campaigns and become more aware of the dangers facing their environment was the challenge facing the community group Vecinos Mundiales which is based in Purulhá Baja Verapaz, Guatemala. They joined Asociación Trópico Verde in an effort to speak to their community about environmental and rural community health issues in the high plains.

With PCI-Media Impact providing the project training, funding and technical assistance, two radio programs were produced, one in Spanish and the other in K’iché (Mayan language). “Huracán de Esperanza” (Hurricane of Hope) in Spanish and “Embellezcamos las Verapaces” (Let’s make the Verapaces pretty) in the Mayan K’iché language.

“Embellezcamos las Verapaces” may have been the first K’iché language serial drama ever locally produced and broadcast.

The weekly radio dramas were the core feature of the magazine live show, an hour show produced by a group of energetic members of the community of different ages. The radio magazine featured: music, information to promote services and activities, the radio drama and discussion with audiences about the episode’s themes. The aim of the show was to promote community involvement towards environmental and rural health issues the community face by increasing awareness and participation among members of the community.

Social and Environmental Facts in Guatemala

• More than 90% of the rivers in Guatemala are contaminated.
• Industries and people living at the river banks have converted the rivers into clandestine garbage dumps.
• If action is not taken now, the rivers will disappear in five years. Sources: Prensa Libre

“It is an important and new experience. For the first time we are all working together: children, youth and adults. We are sending a message so every person takes responsibility about better treatment of our environment. I personally think children are our main target. They are the ones who will lead this community in the future.” Felix Sandoval, 58, listener

Broadcast Profile:

Broadcast Period:
June 2006- December 2006: “Huracán de Esperanza” (in Spanish)
April 2006- October 2006: “Embellezcamos las Verapaces” (in K’iché)

Target Audience: Youth ages 12-20 in the rural area

Radio Reach: Radio Cariñosa 90.5 FM in Spanish in San Antonio Suchitepéquez. The audience over 30% of potential listeners during the morning show and 35% during the afternoon show. Radio Sistema Tezulutlan 93.9 FM K’iché language in La Tinta and Alta Veracruz. The audience over 80% of potential listeners in the rural area and 50% in the urban area.

Magazine Show:

Number of Episodes: Radio Drama – 16 episodes, 5 minutes each. Magazine Show – 16 episodes, 60 minutes each

Serial Drama:

Plot: The story is about three families dealing with a contaminated river. Disease control and prevention are among the main concerns and challenges in the community. With different beliefs and life styles, they have to find a way to work together.

Main Characters Profile

• First Family: Luisa lives with her two children Manolo and Carolina. Luisa’s husband died during the civil war in Guatemala. Manolo the youngest is the one who still is suffering the most.
• Second Family: Martín and Visenta is a mature couple who have large experience farming. They are knowledgeable about natural and traditional medicine, and farming products protection. People listen to them.
• Third Family: Rosa is a health promoter who lives with her two children: Tono and Clara. Rosa is back to the community after being studying environmental issues outside the town. Now she wants to organize the community to face the problems caused by the river contamination.

Program Impact

PCI–Media Impact and Vecinos Mundiales developed a robust methodology to monitor the impact of this program and used two focus groups to monitor and evaluate the radio program and evaluate its accomplishments.

“What I like about the program is that
the radio dramas are so real,
that I can feel them in my heart.”
Mario Antonio Maz, 38

Focus group in La Tinta to evaluate:

• Radio stations’ preferences Topics people are interested to hear.
• The radio program topics were selected from this experience.

Focus group in Suchitepéquez:

• To evaluate people’s knowledge pre- and post- broadcast.

POST-BROADCAST RESEARCH

To measure the impact of the project, the group implemented a focus group, with 21 participants, in Suchitepéquez. The goal was to measure the level of awareness raising in the community after the program broadcast.

59% of the participants where able to talk clearly about the topics the program addressed.

Other interesting productions:

• Video Clip: video about the experience of working together.
• Workshop about Murals: Its importance and meaning.
• 3 Murals with environmental message and participation of the community.
• Participants ages 9-63, in San Antonio Suchitepéquez and La Tinta.

The following topics had the higher phone calls rating:

• The importance of the forest and the water
• Industrial contamination
• Is God responsible for the environmental pollution?

Mural activity in Suchitepéquez with the community participation

Partnership
We worked with public and private partners to promote social development through the creation of this radio show.

Local Organizations: Cafesano, Radio Sistema Tezulutan, Diocesis de las Verapaces, Coordinadora Interinstitucional del Polochic
National NGOs: Asociación Trópico Verde, Vecinos Mundiales, Voluntarios Ecologistas, Organización de Jóvenes Ecologistas, Cooperativa la Esperanza
Health Providers: Hospital de la Tinta,
International NGOs: Salud Sin Limites, CARE, Medicos del Mundo

Capacity Building and Participation
We ensure the programs sustainability by increasing broadcasting skills sets within the community. In addition, participants identify and communicate their own needs; which creates credibility among listeners.

• One entertainment – education workshop with 12 participants also addressed environmental and reproductive health issues.
• Two script workshops.
• The community participated by painting murals, doing surveys and joining focus groups.

Cost – Effectiveness
To ensure program sustainability, the project requires cost-sharing. PCI-Media Impact provides 21% of the project cost and our partners provide the remaining 79%, often through in-kind, contributions, volunteers and sponsorship.