Kalinago Kids

Local participation was a key strategy in crafting this radio-centred initiative. In 2004, a local facilitator was selected and a series of focus groups were held with children (3-5 and 6-8 years) and with men and women; a joint male-female session was also held. RRP hoped through these discussions to gather information about community members' concerns regarding family relations and child development, as well as to find out such concrete details as what radio stations they listen to, who their favourite presenters are, what time of day is best for a programme of this nature, and so on. RRP then held a local consultation within the community, inviting teachers, police, nurses, shopkeepers, local leaders, etc. Here, RRP presented the findings from the focus groups, added other issues as deemed necessary, and then prioritised core themes. A volunteer team then began shaping the programmes; the first programme was a live panel discussion held at the Carib Council office. According to RRP, many people from the various hamlets within the territory participated. The discussion was streamed live online, on DBS Radio; it was also videotaped, and has been shown on local television a few times since.

The focus on children's participation as a project commitment emerged due to the expressed desires of children themselves. After the above process was completed, the children who had participated in the focus groups wanted to know when they were going to meet again; the decision was thereby made to create a children's programme. The local facilitator in the Carib territory works in the school system; he was able to gather many children together to forge a plan - they decided what they wanted to include in the programme (e.g., songs and poems), though the volunteer adult team also suggested the inclusion of information such as parenting tips. A graduate intern from the Caribbean Institiute of Media and Communications (CARIMAC) at the University of the West Indies spent a month with the team, guiding one young team member in how to record vox pops, for instance.

UNESCO furnished the community with equipment for a community radio station so that they will not have to continuously go into the capital (Roseau) to record at DBS. RRP hopes that, in time, the children will be able to fully produce the programmes themselves and broadcast on both DBS and their own local community radio station. In 2006, the CCF will be hosting a 2-week summer workshop with about 40 children from the Carib Territory with the aim of developing segments for further episodes of "Kalinago Kids".

Early Childhood Development.

RRP explains that one of the challenges associated with this project is that there is often not enough time, as members of the production team all work. Availability of and access to equipment have also proved challenging; small recorders are being purchased to assist with this, and RRP expects that the new station (equipment provided by UNESCO) will also help.

Akin to the children's enthusiasm for additional contact beyond the initial RRP focus group discussions, the men who participated in those groups have also decided to continue meeting, and may develop their own radio programme.