Radio Victoria 92.1 FM

Project El Salvador has had a long relationship with Radio Victoria, going back to their first years in the mid 90s. Most recently we have been funding the Community Correspondents' Network.

Radio Victoria’s Community Correspondents ́ Network opens opportunities for young people from one of El Salvador’s poorest areas to participate directly in what’s going on in their communities. In many cases young people in rural areas feel pressured from an early age to form their own families or emigrate to the United States. Radio Victoria offers youth the chance to attend workshops on how to be a community correspondent and then follow-up and give feedback on their news stories. The young community correspondents learn about their communities, learn about themselves and become active members in the daily life of their communities.

The Community Correspondents’ Network was formed in 2008. The Network began to function with 14 members but in 2009 some of our community correspondents began to receive death threats because they were closely following the attacks and killings of local environmental activists. They had to go into hiding and during the next few months threats against the Radio increased. During 2010 the Community Correspondents Network continued to function but at a low capacity. In 2011 Radio Victoria was able to train a new group of correspondents with participants from throughout the region.

The community correspondents become active Radio Victoria members that play a key role in their communities. This is very important because there are very few opportunities for young people to elevate their self-esteem and develop leadership qualities within their communities. Through their work as correspondents they begin to have a close connection with the organizational structures of their community which converts them into key social participants contributing to the development and growth of their communities. They are also able to bring the needs and problems to the attention of local authorities allowing community members a space to express themselves which is usually limited or not allowed to the majority of communities, especially rural communities which tend to be the most excluded and forgotten. And as members of Radio Victoria these youth are exposed to different issues on a local, national and international level.

Also, through the Community Correspondentʼs Network, we have helped 2 local closed circuit radios which now broadcast Radio Victoriaʼs news show. The correspondents from those communities can hear their own news stories on the air in their communities through their local closed circuit sound system.