Angel Water [Agua de Angel]

This initiative used drama to creatively address threats to the local eco-system and way of life in Valle de Angeles (Valley of Angels). Angel Water's storyline focused on environmental conservation, especially issues related to water. More than 50 community leaders were trained on media production skills such as acting, script writing, and character development. Local volunteers between the ages of 12 and 70 wrote, recorded, produced, and hosted the show, which could be heard on 101.3 FM every Friday from 4-5 p.m., as well as on the Radio Nacional de Honduras website.

One local person who lent his voice as a character in the drama explains that "people identify with the stories since they have been taken from problems and situations that are common not only in Valle de Ángeles but in all of Honduras. It's interesting to hear the voice of someone you know, and even better when it's about a topic that interests us." The Executive Director of PCI-Media Impact elaborates on this strategy of creating a project that involves community members and that refers to the local context: this means that listeners "can identify the service providers used in the storyline or know the actor portraying their favorite character, and not only is listenership higher, but demand for services and overall impact is significantly greater." He also noted that radio drama is effective in mobilising community members because the audience connects and sympathises with the characters. "When listeners tune in to find out what will happen with their favorite character, they also hear the educational messages repeated over and over and, after a while, those messages begin to influence their attitudes and behavior. The trick to getting them hooked is creating dramatic tension in each episode."

Every Friday night after the episode aired, a pair of volunteer hosts put the soap opera in context by interviewing local environmental experts, discussing the issues with listeners via phone calls and text messages, and interacting with the programme's mascots, who reportedly became local celebrities themselves. Designed to deepen the discussion about the educational themes woven into the serial drama, this radio magazine is called "Vamos a la Cuenca" ("Let's Go to the River Basin!)." The team also sponsored a variety of community events - from listener groups to street theatre - to promote the radio show and its messages. For example, the project team hosted a 2-day street fair that reportedly drew more than 10,000 people. It included a recycled-materials fashion show, traditional foods, and exaggerated characters that towered over guests on stilts.

Before launching the programme, the project team conducted a baseline survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of themes to be addressed in the programme, and will continue to measure the programme's impact during and after the broadcasts using the PCI Media Impact methodology for evaluating change.

Environment, Natural Resource Management.

At an altitude of 3,000 feet, and with a population of more than a million people, Valley of Angels is home to extensive rain forests, known locally as "cloud forests", where hundreds of waterfalls pour into rivers. According to organisers, maintaining the pristine environment is a priority to local environmentalists and is critical to the livelihood of local farmers.