Soul Buddyz - Namibia

Six child actors travelled to various rural and urban areas in the country conducting interviews with other children, youths and adults. The half-hour programme, which is shown on Saturdays and Sundays, combines drama, documentary, vox pops, studio and location interviews.

The main target audience is children between the ages of eight and 12, although the programme-makers are hoping that older children and adults will also watch. The programme is aimed at educating while entertaining this age group through the programme.

During the pre-production stage, stakeholder consultations were conducted in the development of the messages that were later developed into scripts. The identification of episode themes and geographical areas in Namibia was done based on the needs and importance of the issues projected in the production.

A booklet entitled HIV/Aids Action Now will be published before the end of 2004 to complement a radio series that will start early in 2005.

HIV/AIDS, Health, Children.

The programme organisers believe, “Lack of information has increased children’s vulnerability, but because they are very receptive to new messages in new and interesting ways, we can take advantage of this programme to change their lives.” The series is aimed at creating an environment, which encourages children to share information through the media.

Desert Soul, the Namibia Red Cross Society project under which the series falls, aims to achieve social and behavioural change through the use of the mass media such as television, radio and print, in line with the National Society’s mandate of improving the lives of the most vulnerable people.

Desert Soul hopes to take Soul Buddyz to rural areas through a mobile video van. “Television reception in many rural parts of Namibia is very poor and the mobile unit would really make a difference in providing edutainment through this project.”