Technological development has moved on at an incredible pace in recent decades, but the living standards of millions of people have continued to decline. Access to information and knowledge is critical for development. How do people access the information they need to survive and improve their standard of living? How do they know where to look for relevant information? Do they get what they need? Is the information accurate and timely? Is it costly to access?

A pioneer project in Peru aims to support resource-poor people to assess and respond to the challenges posed by new technologies as well as developing and adapting these to applications that will improve livelihoods.

See The Digital Revolution - Information and Communication Technologies for an overview on the global picture on ICTs.

We were visiting the Chanta Alta village talking with people, explaining the advantages of the internet and the computerised information system. When the meeting was over a group of women approached and told us: "nice, really nice, but do you think there is anything similar for those who do not read or write, the illiterate like us?"

Several years of research, experimentation and interaction with rural communities in Peru led the staff at Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), an international development agency, to ask themselves questions about the role of new technologies in poverty reduction. Innovative project activities, supported by the World Bank InfoDev project, aimed to answer the questions arising: how can ICTs be employed to reduce isolation and create stronger linkages through improved communication between urban and rural communities?

Rural Radio - Reaching the Remotest Parts

For many decades radio has been an effective tool for participatory development. It is without doubt the mass communication channel with the furthest and most comprehensive reach in the world. Radio is a great tool because:

It is cost effective for those setting up the broadcasting facility and for those listening;
Language and content can be pertinent for the large, marginalised, illiterate population;
It is relevant to local practices, traditions and culture;
Once the initial investment is made, sustainability can be achieved through community ownership and service provision; and
The opportunity to link radio and internet provides new strength to communities and increases networking opportunities.

In January 2000 a new initiative began to establish alternative communication and information services for rural communities using small radio dissemination businesses. The project goal and purpose are to:

	All photographs are copyright © ITDG

"Improve the livelihoods, the farming skills and relieve the poverty of peasant men and women in Andean communities, reinforcing local culture and recovering peasant know-how in Cajamarca, Peru"; and
"Develop a sustainable model for rural broadcasting enterprises, aimed at reinforcing local know-how and reducing the isolation of rural peasants in Cajamarca."

Practical Guidelines

In collaboration with local people and national government, ITDG has formed alliances to deliver a range of activities in rural communities and has begun to influence the policies governing information and communication technologies and their application.

ITDG helped to set up three Chilala radio stations in 2001. After a trial period and some technical problems, three radio stations are now operating regularly in the areas of Huanico, Chanta Alta and Asuncion in Peru.

The stations are managed at three levels:

Legal Owner (although the radio belongs to 'the entire community', only one company can legally own it);
Local Administrator/Operator(the legal owner transfers the administration service to a local businessman, on concession);
Supervising Committee (the entity that allows the community to safeguard the proper operation of the radio station).

The model was adapted to each area, so in Huanico and Chanta Alta civil associations are the legal owners of the radio stations, whereas the radio station in Asuncion is legally owned by the Municipality. Formal agreements were made between ITDG and the radio stations and between the parties involved in the management model for the Chilala radios regarding Loan and restitution contract and framework agreement, and Contract between the legal owner and the administrator.

In Huanico and Chanta Alta, elections were held within the associations to appoint an administrator. The administrator acts as the secretary, director, salesman, programme coordinator, and so on.

Together with the administrator, in all three areas operators were elected to provide technical assistance (to switch the equipment on and off, manage the controls during transmissions, provide maintenance, etc).

Villagers were trained how to operate the radio station, manage the station, and make and broadcast programmes. The training was designed especially for rural areas, and for people with limited education, which involved thinking of training techniques that were not based on writing, with an eminently practical approach to the topics and concepts and covering abstract issues verbally. The methodology was standardised into the following package.

CHILALA VIDEO The history of the project, told by its protagonists: beneficiaries, the ICT-ITDG team and external consultants.
CHILALA HANDBOOK A document attached to the video, providing more information on the process, in addition to useful record cards and appendices.
PRIMERS/TRAINING MODULES Printed primers based on the training provided during the project. They describe the methodology and examples used with the target population, in an attempt to create practical and simple material that will be useful for replicating the experience and creating a chain effect, whereby more people can learn.

Operators and administrators alike were given technical training at practical workshops and a workshop was held to develop broadcasting standards.

Training sessions were held exclusively for women to create a space in which they could participate comfortably. Only then were they able to overcome shyness, and work at their own pace without fear of scorn from men. This clearly had a positive impact and women have come forward to make their own pilot programme. Acting as announcers has meant that they are treated as equals in the community.

Delivering a Local Message

The content of the rural radio programmes aims to satisfy the communities' own needs. They deal with themes such as raising guinea pigs, improving cheese production, education in Chanta Alta's school and the work of midwives. Every week they choose a theme they would consider important and prepare it using information from written material used in previous training. The community directly participates by managing and producing radio programmes and this actively reinforces the local culture. Space was created for personal and community information relating to farming, livestock and existing organisations in the area, by-laws, agreements and so on.

Programmes are broadcast all day long on market days, which are very important socially because people from different settlements congregate. The programmes vary from one radio station to the other, and as greater interest in shown in the programmes and as more people become involved in broadcasting, the greater the diversity of programmes will be.

Elvia Herrera reports "We can now communicate with three provinces where there are no phones. We have family and friends in those provinces. We have been able to send informative messages and greetings".

Given their democratic nature and community spirit, these radios are currently an open platform for participation and discussion purposes. They are an example of how the media can make a positive contribution, not only providing information, but also creating opportunities for dialogue, where there is little other opportunity.

Where Next?

Now there is a clear training package (video, handbook and primers) and the radios are fully operating, the project will continue to be disseminated to:

Individuals or development institutions with whom agreements could be entered or who may be interested in replicating the experience or using the radios as a means of achieving their objectives;
Members of the government and people who have influence on them, with a view to heightening their awareness and prompting them to change their policies so that this experience can be developed and used as a model for other similar initiatives.

It is planned to:

Undertake audience surveys to obtain more accurate information about the stations and what impact they have had;
Create cooperation networks between stations and with exisiting national and international organisations to provide links and assistance for continued growth.

They are the most listened-to stations within the rural communities. They are highly valued by communities as a means to communicate in an area that is not easy to travel around, a way of disseminating the community's problems and interests, and easing their isolation. The Chilala methodology places special emphasis on the participatory management of the radio station, in terms of organisation and administration as well as the production of programmes, and this has resulted in a strong sense of community ownership where broadcasters talk in the local language and who know what the people want to hear. It has allowed women to gain confidence, who initially shied away from participating. It is hoped that eventually the stations will be operated independently by the community.

The need for information which supports people's livelihood strategies and everyday activities is clear. Global communications systems and infrastructure have often stopped short of reaching the people with the greatest need. The use of modern technology can be combined with more traditional practices to create relevant and accessible content, to entertain and connect people making a living in the most remote locations in the world.

Acknowledgements

ITDG would like to thank Miguel Saravia from ITDG Peru for providing information to produce this case study.

Further information

Hands On

Series 1: Radio Active - Ghana

Series 4: Winding Hope - Rwanda

Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG)
http://www.itdg.org/
ITDG Peru
http://www.itdg.org.pe/
Av Jorge Chávez 275 - Miraflores
Apartado Postal 18-0620
Lima 18
PERU
Tel: +511 447-5127, 444-7055, 446-7324
Fax: +511 446-6621
E-mail: info@itdg.org.pe
http://www.itdg.org.pe/archivos/tic/My%20rural%20radio.PDF
Article by ITDG

The Communication Initiative
Stories of Participatory Communication in radio and other ICTs
http://www.comminit.com/making-waves.html

Global Catalyst
Links to Groups Working on IT and Development
http://www.global-catalyst.org/pages/resources/resources_online.htm

The Information for Development Program
http://www.infodev.org/

TVE/ Practical Action gratefully acknowledge support for the HANDS ON programmes from the UK's Department for International Development (DFID), the European Commission (EC), the UN Foundation and UNDP/The Equator Initiative in collaboration with the Government of Canada, IDRC, IUCN, BrasilConnects and the Nature Conservancy.