Radio makes waves in the Andes

Radio Sicuani broadcasts to remote communities in the Southern Andes [Simon Rawles]

In the Southern Andes, an award-winning community radio station supports the disadvantaged by broadcasting over the mountains in the indigenous language, Quechua, and in Spanish

Radio Sicuani plays an important role in educating its listeners on issues as varied as human rights, the environment, politics, and health.

Although these are topics about which the public should be well informed, Peru is a country lacking in such services and, as such, community radio plugs a vital gap in people’s knowledge.

One of its broadcasters, Damiana Zaravia, says: “In Peru the government doesn't give so much priority to education as in other countries. So we educate ourselves and inform public opinion.

“If we find a newspaper, report or any piece of paper that’s relevant we read it and transmit the information to others so that they know what’s going on.

“Television is not always educational. There’s lots of violence. We try and broadcast educational programmes.”

A voice for the voiceless

Damiana Zaravia and Alejandrina Mollo Sureo organise phone-ins to discuss issues crucial to local communities. [Simon Rawles]

Radio Sicuani has been so successful in its programming that it recently won an award from the National Public Radio Commission for journalism in favour of the most disadvantaged in the province.

One of the station’s aims is to get more women involved in its work. As part of this drive, four women run a series of programmes in the evenings.

Alejandrina Mollo Sureo is responsible for Monday broadcasts, which focus on violence against women.

“The programme goes out to remote communities where there are no roads,” she explains. “It defends the rights of women, adolescents and children. In the countryside they need to hear this in Quechua so the programmes are all in Quechua.

“The programme is popular. Before we women didn’t know our rights but now we do… especially with the men. This is basically the message of the programme.”

Bringing international affairs home

Damiana has a current affairs programme on Wednesdays relating important issues to local communities and encouraging them to have their say.

“We interview the public about various topics such as education,” she explains. “Recently we discussed the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) – is it for the benefit of the people? Who really benefits? Farmers are the most likely to be affected. We asked, “What can Peruvians do to confront the FTAA?” We are not technologically prepared for it.

"We interviewed the Minister of Agriculture and we think that if the FTAA comes people will need to be very innovative to cope as it will bring in cheap US imports. We talk about the environment, politics, economics and health – we try to take an integrated approach.”

Carmen Condori explains how they got involved with Radio Sicuani.

“ This is the first time that ordinary women and housewives like us have had access to radio to talk to the public and inform ourselves. In some places there is discrimination. We asked for a slot with Radio Sicuani and they gave us 30 minutes in the evenings.

Listeners may be interviewed at the radio station [Simon Rawles]

“The radio programme is for the people and it speaks for the people. It speaks the truth and demands justice.

“I get up at 4 in the morning and at 5 in the morning we are at another radio station. We have to read and prepare before the shows. Our husbands support us.”

“We inform and educate the people other community authorities can’t reach. We let them know about everything that is happening in our community.

“The poor people in rural areas listen to us more. We receive calls from them telling us to continue our good work.

“They want to know what we think and treat us like professionals. We aren’t professionals. Before some of us had no experience of interviewing…But we value and care about what is happening in the community. Many young people are unemployed and don’t have hope.

“We use a tape recorder for interviews. We only have one between the four of us so we have to share it.

“We do some programmes in Spanish but we do more programmes in Quechua to preserve our language. In Quechua you can express political ideas and we want to ensure our customs and laws are respected."

Building solidarity

Radio Sicuani also employs specialists such as lawyers and agriculturalists.

Programmes cover legal issues such as what to do if someone dies without a will; helping single mothers receive support from absent fathers; or overcoming debt. Others give advice on farming and marketing produce.

There are phone-ins and sometimes listeners ring with requests for help. Many people do not have phones, so they come to the studio to send messages to their families.

The radio station also runs appeals to raise funds for people in difficult situations, for example if they are unable to work due to illness or injury or for families unable to afford funeral costs for relatives.

Director of communications, Esau Gamarra Pino says “The main thing is that they don’t feel alone. We give them a home, a sense of solidarity…that tomorrow they will continue their struggle. It gives them strength. These people now believe in life and know that others too believe in life.”

Radio Sicuani has recently received official operating licences for three more radio transmitters and has a local network of 17 small community radio stations, which retransmit its programmes in six provinces including Chumbivilcas. The radio station belongs to the diocese of Sicuani.

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