Cultural Survival's Community Radio Project director Mark Camp reports from Guatemala that Tropical Storm Agatha devastated many of the communities that we are working with there. Mudslides and flooding have now killed 123 people, and the death toll is expected to rise, after more than three feet of rain fell. In just one village in Solola 25 homes were washed away and at least 15 people killed. There is no word yet on how many radio stations may have been affected, but the ones still operating will be essential lifelines for information and restoration efforts.
Francisco Macu, Director of Radio Restauracion Cultural in the Cachikel Maya town of Patzicia in the department (state) of Chimaltenango, Guatemala reports that the radio station called CONRED (the government disaster response agency) and was told that the system was overwhelmed and no help was coming any time soon. The radio station did what it always does: it worked to serve the community. The station collected information from listeners who called in on their cell phones to report landslides, overflowing rivers, collapsed houses, and families in need of rescue. Working with the mayor and the volunteer fire department, radio station volunteers quickly put out a call for blankets, plastic sheeting, drinking water, clothing and food to distribute to makeshift shelters. More than 1,000 citizens delivered aid in response to the call of the radio station within the first 24 hours of the disaster.
Other Stories of Agatha
“It wasn’t the government, nor the commercial media who responded after Agatha- it was the community radios that took responsibility.” - Miguel, of Los Encuentros Sololá.
“Our community radio played a unique and important role after Agatha” – Felipe Alvarez, Solola
SOLOLA
In the hilly towns of Solola, around Lake Atitlan, Tropical Storm Agatha ripped through homes, killing many and leaving thousands of homes destroyed. When the rain finally stopped, it was Radio Roca of Solola and their partner community radio stations located in villages around the lake that were on the air, coordinating search and rescue teams to dig for the bodies of missing loved ones. When the government disaster response finally arrived to help, their supplies sat in offices for days, never reaching those in desperate need. Working with the local authorities, the radio was able to mobilize volunteers and donations from the community and bring it to their listeners who called for help.
CIUDAD VIEJA
In Ciudad Vieja, in the department of Sacatepequez, mudslides from Tropical Storm Agatha tore down houses, carried mud, sewage, and boulders into homes, and left 24 year old Maria, a recent mother, with a deep gouge down her left leg. With roads almost impassable, and no word from the local government, Maria’s family heard the broadcast of Radio Colonial, their community radio station, and called in for help. Listeners responded, and within the hour, the radio had found transportation for Maria to the nearest hospital. Later, her family received donations from the community to pay for the antibiotics she needed to ward off infection. Thanks to the volunteers of Radio Colonial, who spent 3 days after the disaster taking shifts sleeping at their station and broadcasting at all hours, Maria still has her leg.
SAN MATEO, QUETZALTENANGO
Radio Doble Via, in San Mateo, Quetzaltenango, had been on the air barely one month when the rains of Tropical Storm Agatha came pouring down. San Mateo escaped the storm without much damage, but more rural areas surrounding them did not. Although not part of their own community, The 18 new volunteers saw the importance of bringing news of the affected areas to their listeners. When they found out a landslide had covered the only road going towards a village nearby, cutting off electricity and communication, they sent a call to action to their new listeners- to gather friends and come help remove the rocks, mud, and branches blocking the way. Together, they cleared the roadblock, finally allowing relief efforts to access the village and bring in supplies.
SAN PEDRO LA LAGUNA
After Tropical Storm Agatha, a general consensus among our community radio workers was that national disaster relief efforts had been disorganized, supplies poorly distributed, and funds mismanaged. This was especially the case in San Pedro La Laguna, on the shores of Lake Atitlan. Damages were documented, and especially hard hit families were noted down as the first recipients of state promised aid. However, days passed, and the town’s mayor announced that no funds would be made available. Busy coordinating collections of food, shovels, hoes, clean water, medicine, and labor, Radio Sembrador took on another role- investigating and reporting on the existence and use of relief funds. Vicky Garcia, who runs a youth program at the station, explained, “Corruption has been a problem for too long, but we can encourage transparency in community projects by keeping the public informed.”
