Salud/New Routes Leader Adriana Garcia

Adriana Garcia has been an active member of the SALUD project since the beginning. In 2008 and 2009 she learned to listen and then take action to create awareness. Adriana began to share her expertise first family and friends and then in the wider community at workshops, schools and on the radio show Primera Voz, where she is now a contributor and producer. She is a talented singer, dedicated educator, and looks forward to sharing her newly gained video editing skills with the project in 2010.

Participating in SALUD made me a more responsible person because after that, I realized that I wasn't just talking to the community about anything. I was creating awareness and, for me, that was a big job. Whether in the making of the radio novelas or in the workshops, we had to bring in facts, stats, opinions, and even fiction and a lot of creativity to be able to capture our audience. It was our responsibility to start a project of action and to ensure that the chain of information and awareness would keep going.

In SALUD I also learned to share time and work efficiently with a group of young people that had very unique ideas to share to the project. This has made me a better listener and more opened to different ideas. I also learned that not everything can be one person's way and that lots of effort and consistency is better than wanting everything perfect.

Up until I got involved in the SALUD program, I was very unaware of the important role that health plays in our lives. Now, I see myself more optimistic about my health and I go to the doctor when I need to because I know that in order to be completely healthy, both our minds and our bodies must be in good standing.

During my participation in SALUD I was exposed to a lot of health and immigration issues and possible solutions to many of them. These are now tools that come in handy outside of Radio Arte. For example, now I can understand my father's frustration with his health and immigration problems and I can help by analyzing his options with him as well as encouraging him to take care of his health. I can now make knowledgeable advice to help family and friends with their health situations. Also, in this program I obtained many resources which I have given out to friends that have been in need of them.

SALUD ha sido un puñito de arena que se ha multiplicado. Primero que nada, nos ha ayudado a cada miembro que lo compone en maneras que son importantes de forma muy personal. Cada miembro aprendió mucho de las experiencias de los demás y logro compartir sus experiencia personal sobre salud e inmigración. A mi personalmente, me ayudo a ser mas atenta sobre mi salud y la de mi familia. También, ahora me siento mas segura y en confianza cuando hablo con mis familiares sobre salud e inmigración. Creo que les ha ayudado proporcionalmente a mis compañeros y a sus familiares y conosidos.

Todos juntos somos una gran comunidad y cada uno vive en su propia minicomunidad. Asi como nosotros fuimos ayudados por este programa, las audiencias y familiares de nuestros talleres y radionovelas tambien lo fueron. Lo puede ver en los comentarios positivos que resiviamos durante y despues de los talleres, o en las charlas interesantes que se desatavan despues de que alguien escuchara una radionovela. El gran efecto que causo SALUD fueron esas puertas de conversacion y comunicación que se crearon en los talleres y que supongo continuaron y se extendieron hacia mas gente.

I have been member of the SALUD program from the first generation; because of that, I have worked together and built a relationship with all the participating members during the two years of this program. I have also gotten the opportunity to carry out the program's objectives for two years consecutively and therefore understand it's mission and structure more. During the time that Salud hasn't been active, I stayed an active participant of Radio Arte through the Primera Voz show committee which has let me explore the software and its uses more deeply.

 Finally, in terms of the future, although it was not mentioned as part of the plan, I believe that it would be great if we could plan to include some video in the process of this last SALUD year. I was thinking to implement multimedia for the website/pdf format of our workshops and curriculum and even for the conference in August. Last summer I attended a week training on video filming and editing video (STN Camp at Columbia College) which gave me some experience in framing, shots, story organizing, lighting, and editing video. I would be more than happy if this was a possible tool for our coming and final year and would help in the process of making it happen through what I learned

Tags: radio, theater, video
Topics: Arts, Building Community, Community Media, Education, Family, Media production, New Routes Leaders, Social networking, Web 2.0, Youth