Famili Blong Serah - A Radio Series

Famili Blong Serah was a 40 part radio series; part of an Oxfam International New Zealand Reproductive Health promotion project. The radio series was aired in a soap opera style, featuring the same characters from week to week who addressed family planning issues to raise awareness and educate listeners. The impact of the series was assessed through feedback from a weekly quiz set up in health centres, surveys and focus group interviews. Promotional materials used during the series included posters, stickers and t-shirts which were given out to health clinic workers who helped to facilitate the quizzes as well as to weekly quiz winners. Apart from Wan Smolbag Theatre members who were active in promoting the series, promotional materials were distributed around the country by Peace Corps volunteers, field officers of the Vanuatu National Council of Women, the Turtle Monitors and Shell service stations, where stickers were offered to private vehicles, buses and taxis.

Health, Family Planning/Reproductive Health, Rights, Women, HIV/AIDS.

Apart from increasing knowledge for Vanuatu citizens, the radio drama series was to be used as a teaching tool for schools, nurses, aid post workers and rural training centres. The series addressed the importance of antenatal and postnatal care, anemia in pregnancy, nutrition for pregnant mothers, the necessity for positive attitudes toward people with HIV infection, and educated on family planning, including promotion of condom use to prevent STI/HIV infection/teenage pregnancy. There was a particular focus on women's health and unwanted pregnancy. An interview with the chief of Emau revealed that family planning was "badly needed on the island" and that "men wouldn't come for check-ups". There were many misconceptions about family planning methods, like the pill and condoms, by both men and women. Many who were interviewed had very little, if any, awareness of HIV/AIDS. For all Smolbag Theatre scripts there is first research conducted within the community to assess attitudes and knowledge levels on key issues. Actors are invited to contribute ideas to the script and the research is woven into storylines. The first 10 episodes of the script are used to develop characters and do not discuss sexual health. This allows the audience to bond with characters before more sensitive issues are introduced. Listeners were informed about the quiz on the radio, where the questions were read out following each broadcast of Famili Blong Serah. Winners of the quiz were announced on the radio together with their prizes, such as wind-up radios, Wan Smolbag videotapes and Famili Blong Serah T-shirts.