Did you know that among a hosts of other projects, Voluntario Global also has a radio show? Beth, a communications volunteer, originally from the UK, and our most current radio star, works weekly at the station. The program has a new focus every week on the cultures, customs, traditions, and current events of other countries. The aim of the broadcast is to engage the larger Buenos Aires community and the rest of the world in exploring cultural difference. Beth, a communications volunteer, also participates in this weekly airing from a community center in La Boca.

After spending several months abroad to complete her degree, Beth currently volunteers at Voluntario Global in Buenos Aires. She works from welcoming our new volunteers, to writing posts for our blog, The Volunteer Magazine, to even interviewing locals at the World Cup matches San Martin Plaza. Beth and the other volunteers on the communications team at Voluntario Global have a jack-of-all-trades mentality and constantly seek to promote our organization in all different sorts of venues. By now you have likely become fan of us on Facebook, followed us on Twitter, and liked our Instagram posts, but what do you know about the radio show? We sat down with Beth to get the full scoop on what happens at the station.

What is the aim of this radio broadcast?

The radio shows are basically all about foreign cultures. We interview a different nationality each week and ask them about their native country in castellano – the customs and traditions, the education system, the political system. It changes every week! We also play various traditional music from the countries to provide an in-depth coverage of that country. So, the radio shows are basically a great way of putting the local community in touch with the wider world. Additionally, we also look at Buenos Aires locals from different parts of the city to get a feel for their culture that is right in our backyard.

Who have you interviewed/what countries are they from?

We’ve interviewed so many people! They tend to be foreigners who are living in Buenos Aires for study or work purposes, so it’s really interesting to discover their reasons for coming to Argentina. The interviewees have come from all over; from Latin American countries such as Columbia and Peru, to Canada and the United States, as well as from many European countries such as Holland, France and Spain.

What is your role at the broadcast?

At the station, I’m also on air and I ask questions to the interviewees and facilitate the conversation. I also work a lot beforehand on preparing the questions, researching both the person that we plan to interview, and also about their host country. Not only have I learned a lot about other countries but I have also massively developed my spoken Spanish. As a non-native speaker, being put on the spot at time to continue the dialogue has pushed me to grow in my speaking abilities.

Who else works at the broadcast and what do they do?

Fortunately, I’m not left alone to conduct the broadcast. There are several other team members who help to get our talk show out on the air. Mayra and Meche, Voluntario Global coordinators, are co-interviewerers; they contact the participants and organize the show. Manuel works behind the scenes and runs the sound board.

How does the radio broadcast contribute to Voluntario Global?

The radio show is affiliated with Voluntario Global – the presenters and the volunteers are all a part of the organisation, and sometimes the interviewees are the ones volunteering. In that way, the show is able to inform the local people about Voluntario Global and its projects, as well as providing the volunteers that go to the radio station with the chance to learn even more about Buenos Aires and its citizens; it’s a real cultural exchange!

What’s your favorite part of working in the radio station?

By far my favourite part is getting to learn all about the different nationalities in the interviews. As a student of Modern Languages, I’m so passionate about travelling and different cultures, so it’s quite amazing for me to be able to come to Argentina and manage to delve into the culture of several other countries at the same time! I also love everyone at the radio station; they’re all so friendly and welcoming and we have a right laugh!

How can others get involved?

Getting involved is easy. You can like our fan page on Facebook where you can keep up-to-date with the latest news and broadcasts, and of course you can listen to the show too! If that’s not enough, then you’ll simply have to come and volunteer!

Where can you listen to the radio show?
If you want to listen to the show, just head online to http://www.fmriachuelo.com.ar/ where you can listen live from anywhere in the world!

Don’t just listen though, get in front of the microphone yourself! Come volunteer in Buenos Aires with Voluntario Global.