Estefania Alves

Estefania Alves broadcasts music that respects and empowers women and brings in local women to talk on the air about their accomplishments and issues such as HIV and teen pregnancy. We sat down with Estafania and asked her all about it:

GiG: What, or who, inspired you to start a radio station?
EA: Growing up in Dorchester, a working community plagued by violence and poverty, I realized how dilapidated my community was becoming each dayEverywhere I turned there were people being murdered, teenage girls getting pregnant, kids dropping out of school, drugs being sold, intelligent individuals going to jail because they chose the wrong path. I refused to sit around and do nothing because one individual struggling, or suffering in life, is enough for me to say there’s a problem and I must do something.

One day at the Log School (a community organization where I played soccer), a conversation about violence in the community developed between two of my peers and I. After the conversation, we all felt overwhelmed and decided we had to do something. We approached Larry Mayes, who was Director of the Log School at the time, and told him our concerns and asked for his help. Larry called the Mayor of Boston and, one week later, we were in his office meeting with him!

The Mayor asked us for ideas to help solve the problems of the community. At first we suggested the usual things: Provide more jobs, more community centers, and so on, but it dawned on me that we needed new ideas. All of sudden, I blurted out “Why not a radio station?” The Mayor was intrigued and asked what we would do with a radio station, to which I replied, “Inform the community about events, teach them about HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, drugs and whatever else is positive and enlightening.” Fortunately the Mayor thought it was a great idea, and planning for the station started right then and there.

GiG: When did you launch the station? How did you do it?
EA: The station launched February 16, 2004, less than a year after we met with the Mayor. We had to establish a Board, meet with donors, find equipment, and a space that met certain requirements we had to follow. All this could have been a long and difficult process but we met so many people who were interested in our mission and helped us make this dream come true.

GiG: Why radio? What kind of programming or music do you play?
EA: Radio was different and unheard of. When I said radio I was thinking of a different way to appeal to the people in my community and a way to catch their attention. In our effort to send encouraging messages and bring peace to the community, we only play positive music that does not degrade women. Although the majority of people in my community are people of color, we still celebrate diversity and play all kinds of songs because we want a harmonious community where everyone gets along and learns about each other. At GRLZ Radio (formerly R-LOG) we want everyone to feel welcome when listening to us.

At the station our mission is to Educate, Empower and Promote Leadership. We educate by talking about different topics such as HIV/AIDS, by playing Public Service Announcements, and by informing the community of what’s going on. We empower the listeners through the positive songs we play because they praise women, while at the same time sing about issues they face. Last, but not least, we promote leadership by bringing positive role models to the station, usually women who are at the top of their profession like Kathleen O’Toole, the first female Boston Police Commissioner.

GiG: What effect has the station had on you and the other teen girls who work there?
EA: For me, just having the station taught me to believe that anything is possible. I’ve always believed in myself but thought some things are just impossible. Now I see everything as being possible. I’ve learned that there are numerous ways to make a difference.
The station has also had an important effect on me because it’s allowed me to learn about more issues women face today. I’ve met so many strong women who work to better the lives of other women daily and I am grateful for that. These women continue to provide me with ideas that I bring to GRLZ Radio and my community. As for the girls at the station, it has provided them with leadership skills and connections which will be very useful to them in the future.

GiG: How has R-LOG 540-AM impacted your community?
EA: This is not something you can easily distinguish because things are still happening in the community. But at that same time maybe we saved someone at one point or another from making a wrong choice, maybe we made others think about the music they’re listening to, maybe we helped people have a little bit more respect for themselves, and others. We are a fairly new and small movement. Although our voices are being heard, we need more help with this effort worldwide to make a bigger statement.

GiG: How do you compete with commercial radio?
EA: We do not compete with commercial radio. We simply play music that enlightens the soul, and if that’s what you want, then GRLZ Radio 540 AM is what you’re looking for. We are here to send a message to the community, not to compete.

GiG: How have your peers react to you and your project?
EA: We receive praises from individuals in the community and parents love the idea of the station and the fact that it educates, empowers, and promotes leadership. As for teens, many think it’s cool, and want to join us, but some feel as if the problem of degrading females is beyond their control.

GiG: If you could do it all over again, what, if anything, would you do differently?
EA: No I wouldn’t have done it differently, this is the path that was laid out for me and it’s a path where there will be victories and struggles. Nothing in life is perfect, so I wouldn’t do anything differently. Whatever the outcome is at the end of the day, it’ll be a learning experience for me.

GiG: What gave you the courage to make your dream come true?
EA: I have to say believing in myself. That is an important aspect everyone should have. Many people have put me down before and called me stupid, this was another way for me to subtly prove them wrong. Little do they know, they have encouraged me to keep striving. Also, my passion for helping people fueled my desire to make GRLZ Radio possible. I have been active in my community since the age of twelve, so now I just can’t sit around because it’s not what I’m used to. Last but not least, the support and words of encouragement from everyone who believes in me, they keep me going and keep my courage alive.

GiG: What’s next for Estefania Alves?
EA: Life has its twists and turns, ups and downs, but hopefully I plan to finish my Undergrad at Boston College, and get my Masters in Social Work, which I’m currently working towards as a junior. I am thinking about law school, which I credit the Mayor for because he once told me “A law degree is so powerful, you don’t even have to become a lawyer and it’ll get you far while at the same time teaching you about your own rights”. But at the end of the day, I plan to work at a place I truly love, and a place that only further fuels my passion for helping others. I also wouldn’t mind running my own organization that focuses on making the social welfare of others better.