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The Youth Radio Project was developed through the combination of two ideas:
1. The effectiveness of rural community radio. We have noticed over the years that over 80% of our patients hear about us from listening to local radio stations. All of our medical missions are extensively promoted through radio using numerous spots, local community manager programs, and past patient testimony. Local stations also serve the community as an announcement service in areas where cell phone coverage is scare and roads lacking, helping to reconfirm patients and pass messages.
2. The availability of local youth. In the past we have used youth to help local community managers reconfirm patients, accompany patients to the hospital site and serve as telephone contacts. Our local community managers are often older with full time jobs and lack the time to visit communities to reconfirm patients or do post-op checkups. They therefore work in coordination with local youth who perform the leg work.
 From these two aspects the Youth Radio Project was born. The idea being to utilize youth who have more free time, and also provide them with learning opportunities not normally available.
Radio broadcasts
The youth groups develop radio programs in both the local Mayan language and in Spanish that ultimately serve to increase our patient turnout and reconfirmation rates, while also presenting health topics of interest to the community.
The broadcasts utilize various formats including live call-in from the communities, radio dramas, and interviews with local community managers and health experts. The youth groups develop the content and then broadcast a one hour program every week to help promote the mission of Partner for Surgery and educate their community.
Results
In August 2008, the first broadcasting was started in Cubulco, Baja Verapaz, followed by the youth group of Cotzal, El Quiche. In the last trimester of 2008, the project will be further expanded to include three more youth groups of different parts of Alta Verapaz.
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