By Pete McNamee | Project Report Manager/Peace Corps Volunteer
Hi Everyone!
It’s been quite some time since our last update and Nawal Estéreo has been hard at work serving our town of Nahualá and the rest of Guatemala’s Western Highlands.
It’s an exciting time to be in Nahualá with various celebrations, anniversaries and of course the 2011 national and local elections. In addition to the radio’s everyday programming and coverage of local events, we were quite busy during the month of April celebrating Semana Santa, or Holy Week in the run up to the Catholic Easter holiday. As a large percentage of Nahualá (and much of Guatemala) is Catholic, this is one of the most important times of the year. Family members who have moved to other parts of the country come from far and wide to see their relatives and partake in the festivities. Semana Santa consists of several processions throughout the week in which hundreds if not thousands of participants walk throughout town carrying floats depicting different scenes from the Catholic Easter tradition. Nahualá’s patron saint, Santa Catarina, also has her own float that is carried throughout town with much reverence. The entire town also eats in traditional food during Semana Santa, including fish, white beans and delicious local honey paired with special bread made only during this time of year. Another tradition for Semana Santa that is particular to this region of Guatemala is to erect arches throughout town. The arches consist of two brightly colored 25 to 30 foot tree trunks and a crossbar adorned with different tropical fruit ranging from plantains to pineapples. As an important and long-standing institution in the Nahualá community, Nawal Estéreo erects its own arch each year for the procession-goers to pass through.
As mentioned earlier, Guatemala is getting ready to hold national and local elections this coming September. As a major news source for many of our listeners and a well-established local media outlet, Nawal Estéreo has tried to provide as much information as possible regarding the various candidates, pertinent issues, party platforms, etc. not only for the people of Nahualá, but the entire Western Highlands. We’ve instituted several special Sunday programs for elections season, providing a opportunity for listeners and interact directly with candidates through call-in shows as well as a place for each candidate to officially turn in their governmental plan for the municipality. We’ve also been able to invite officials from the various government organizations overseeing the election process. As Guatemala is in the midst of changing it’s national identification for all citizens, it has been a confusing and hectic process for many citizens to sort out which documentation they will need in order to be eligible to cast their vote. Through our Sunday programs the radio has tried to alleviate this problem, allowing the electoral board to present the prerequisites to vote and also devoting time for callers to contact the radio and presenter with more specific questions.
Adding to the excitement of the past few months was the Centennial Anniversary of Nahualá’s Catholic church. The church stands in the center of town and is a focal point for life in Nahualá. The event was celebrated with a large parade throughout town, including the participation of almost every one of the more than 20 schools currently operating in Nahualá. Priests from several neighboring towns came to celebrate the occasion and a special mass was given on the day of the anniversary. Afterwards all of those in attendance were provided with lunch, consisting of a traditional soup that’s prominent in Guatemala’s highlands called caldo. As with all events both large and small, Nawal Estereo was able to provide coverage for the entire community, particularly those who were not able to attend due to space limitations or health reasons.
We look forward to continuing our work for the community of Nahualá and the surrounding region, providing coverage of local events and interesting and educational content for our listeners. We’d like to take this time to thank each and every one of you who has so generously donated to our community radio station. Through your generosity we have been able to provide an essential service to all of Guatemala’s Western Highlands. Until next time, we hope you all enjoy your final days of summer and remember that you can always listen in to the radio anytime via our website: www.nawalestereo.com
Sincerely,
Pete McNamee
Pedro Sohom Cotiy
And the Personnel of Nawal Estereo 93.1 FM
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