Information about WRFU’s sister station in La Esperanza, Honduras
La Voz del Pueblo Lenca 97.3 (The Voice of the Lenca People)
Located in La Esperanza, Intibucá , Honduras
The radio station La Voz del Pueblo Lenca (Voice of the Lenca people), has as a motto of "We Have Lost Our Language But Not Our Voice - The Voice Unites The People."
Radio Lenca is a not for profit station, created in 2003 by COPINH (Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras).
The station currently broadcasts to an area of approximately 50 square kilometers (about 2.5 miles range). In the majority of the indigenous communities affiliated with COPINH, there is no electricity, and the main medium of communications and information is radio. There is a small radio in every home and it's the only modern device from the outside world, accessing the region, but also the world. Lamentably, there aren't many stations which program for the people. The majority of stations broadcast commercial music and don't deal with social messages or with objective or alternative information. Thus was born the necessity to create our own radio station, our space of permanent encounter with the communities.
The purpose of Radio Lenca is to serve the Lenca communities by operating a community radio station, making people's news programs, information bulletins, correspondent announcing, and also training citizen volunteers in technical matters of how to operate a radio station, bringing alternative, peoples' communications media to the indigenous communities, a right denied them by the commercial stations. Additionally, there had been a need for a space where it was possible to consider the themes that affect our communities, as it is necessary to give a space to our culture so rich in lessons for the youth, who, are driven by individuality, as a concept contrary to our indigenous cosmovision where coming together is fundamental.
COPINH, through the Voice of the Lenca Radio, also leases time for a radio program on a commercial station which some 100,000 persons listen to. It lasts an hour, from Monday through Friday. A second radio station for the Lenca people has been recently created in the town of Concepción, which operates simultaneously with Radio Lenca. Its name is Guarajambal, which is a Lenca word meaning "forest surrounded by water" or "tree with water". COPINH also has other alternative means of communication which form part of our network, comprised of the Weekly Wall, the bulletin "Guancasco", distribution of the newspaper "El Libertador", the community radio stations, and the program "Echoes of Opa Laca".
Radio Lenca currently includes programs such as:
The Awakening of My Land: 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. We begin transmission with the National Hymn and there are messages of reflection and a succession of upbeat, popular music. Also there are celebrated associates of the month. At the end of the month, they choose a winner from those associated with the program. It's an environmental program which the communities like a lot and which wakes them up.
Rebirth in Christ: 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. It's a religious program, but always in the context of popular revolution, because we realize that , by means of religion, we attract many communities, since this department (governmental unit similar to a county) is made up of very religious people. Also it has an identity in the programming of messages and popular music.
The Environment: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Popular music relating to the environmental theme conveying a message of care for nature - protection of the forest flora and fauna, discouraging contamination of the environment, proper use or disposal of garbage and toxic substances, protection of water sources, etc.
Lifting Our Voices: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. This program is self-critical. Here, everyone participates. These are indigenous people who have lost their voice. For this reason it's called the program of those who don't have a voice. Here they denounce all the injustices of the indigenous people so that they don't lose their rights. Also they increase understanding of COPINH, the struggles, the gains, and why this organization was born with the purpose of defending the rights of the indigenous Lenca people, etc.
The Land of My People: 11 a.m. to 12 noon. This program deals with the territoriality of the landholders, so, there are themes of reflection about the land, education about the land, bad agricultural practices, the defense of the land, recovery of the native seeds, etc.
Radio Theatre: 12 noon to 1 p.m. In this hour, we program music interspersed with messages about the status of PPP (Plan Puebla Panama), ALKA (Latin American Free Trade Area), stories of destruction of the transnationals, etc.
Recover Our Lenca Culture: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. This program is recovering our culture, which is the story of our culture, the customs, the traditions of the communities – concerning their language, their way of dressing, the rites of the different composturas (Lenca traditional religious festivals), our mother nature, and other traditions that have been lost. In this program, we're going to regain them.
Children of My People: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. A program for children where we have program segments of stories, poems, readings, bringing a message to the children about those who don't respect their rights.
Women's Program: is a program where the women's organizations of COPINH, such as Guinakirina, are addressed - domestic violence, health issues, preservation of natural medicine, of self-esteem, of gender sensitivity, and also mutual consent of men and women.
Apart from these programs, there is a new news program segment where we have a team of people who go to different places to gather information. It is divided into different sections: local, departmental, national, and international. Also, there's cultural reporting and sports. This report airs from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays.
All this work is done by volunteers, but Radio Lenca also needs monetary assistance to recondition and install a more powerful transmitter, pay the electric bill, and buy/repair/upgrade equipment and supplies in order to carry on their mission of outreach.
Donations of blank minidiscs, blank cd's, new/used broadcasting equipment and other supplies are also welcomed.
For more information about how you can help WRFU support the work of Radio Lenca, contact Bill Taylor at btaylor[at]prairienet.org or check out the Primary Communications Project website.