There are approximately 26 radio stations currently operating in Jamaica. Of this amount the vast majority are commercial entities focused on pop culture and headline news content. Less than ten are community broadcasters and even so, they are struggling to meet basic bills for light and equipment let alone investments in content development and capacity development. Whereas these stations are hugely popular in their communities, their lack of broadcast skills and capacity, prevents them from providing the communication support for community development required by their citizens.
 
This project aims to increase the national capacity of local community radio stations in Jamaica to produce and sustain participatory communication programmes in at least two priority areas of national development: a) crime and violence within or against vulnerable groups; b) teen sexuality/maternal and child care.
 
Informal research tells us that at least 90% of current volunteers in the community radio sector in Jamaica have never received either formal or informal training in broadcast journalism. The overarching success of the project will be its ability to increase the numbers of community media volunteers able to produce quality radio programmes. Quality is assessed by its technical quality, relevance of content, collaboration with stakeholders and edutainment appeal. Outputs will be assessed based on a) measuring human capacity before and after training, b) measuring number of consistent programmes on a development theme aired before and after training, c) response to programmes from citizens.
 
Under this project, selected members of vulnerable groups who reside in the project communities’, will receive training alongside community broadcast journalists. This will enable both groups to collaborate on producing participatory media content to effectively engage the targeted communities of interest. The activity is expected to primarily benefit 60 community broadcast journalists and content providers in four parishes in Jamaica.
 
Because all these radio stations selected are in poor communities, the project will satisfy a dual objective. Young community members will themselves become engaged in the creation of media. In developing their own content they are forced to confront their own issues by looking at negative behaviours and probable consequences, and begin processing alternative behaviours and positive and appealing outcomes. In this process using media as a tool for learning.