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| "We personally have
touched hundreds, no thousands of people with these tapes directly,
without even attempting to calculate how many millions have been touched
through the mass media." Africa Consultants International, NGO partner, to external evaluator, Senegal |
| "The films are
very, very effective, because they speak directly to us. As they are
films written by Africans and directed by Africans - and not Europeans
or Americans, as is so often the case - they reflect our own perspectives…..The
Scenarios films are great for everybody - really young kids
and the aged. There's something for everyone…. Public response
is very enthusiastic…." Broadcaster, Sierra Leone |
| "[The Scenarios
films are] extremely useful and valuable in our efforts [to curb the
epidemic]. What is key for us right now [is] Education for Transformation,
and the Scenarios films fit in perfectly...." Broadcaster, Botswana |
| "Here
in the city, you hear people talking about them [the Scenarios
films] all the time." Broadcaster, Lesotho |
| "It (the cassette)
allowed us to quickly raise key themes that otherwise required films
lasting anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half!" ACI, NGO partner, Dakar, Senegal to external evaluator |
| "We need a new copy
of the cassette because the one we have is completely worn out."
ABACED, Ziguinchor, to external evaluator, Senegal |
| "With Scenarios
from the Sahel you don't have to do much talking when you're presenting
them to school children. That facilitates the debate. Before the contest
it was shocking, embarrassing to talk about AIDS. Now Scenarios
from the Sahel has become the way in to talking about AIDS in
the school." Teacher, Dapaong region, Togo, to external evaluator |
|
"In terms of innovative uses of the films, DynaEnterprises
set up interactive, touch sensitive kiosks in the reception area
of their Dakar office and in the waiting area of a popular credit
union, just outside of the peri-urban Dakar area. With the kiosk,
those waiting to be served can select a film in French, Fufulde,
Wolof or Dioula and watch it on a small screen." |
|
"The films are brilliant and extremely effective.
They are used extensively by our English teachers." |
|
"The fundamental characteristic of these films is that they
address participants at their own level of understanding. They are
films that convey clear and simple but effective messages. Indeed
through these films you realise that it is possible to talk of serious
things while making people laugh." |
Distribution
The SCENARIOS
films are donated to television stations in Africa. They have been broadcast
on locally-based stations in almost every country in sub-Saharan Africa
(shaded on map below), including on 20 stations in Nigeria alone. 
Broadcasts
of the SCENARIOS films have been confirmed on over 100 television stations
in or serving Africa. In several countries the films have been broadcast
with great frequency and at prime time over periods of several months.
They have also been aired repeatedly on international satellite networks
including TV5, CFI, RFO, CANAL+HORIZONS, and RTP.
The films
have been greeted with universal enthusiasm by broadcasters, who appreciate
their short format, which makes them ideal for use as "fillers"
between programmes. Their high quality and non-didactic, optimistic approach
are seen as breaking new ground in HIV/AIDS communication in Africa and
are certainly largely responsible for the unprecedented amount of free
air time they have been granted.
In some countries, such as Benin, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo, national television stations have taken the initiative to produce special programmes on HIV/AIDS in which SCENARIOS films are broadcast and then discussed by local specialists. In Nigeria, individual SCENARIOS films have been broadcast during the prime-time news. In several countries, the films have been broadcast immediately before Cup of African Nations and World Cup football matches.
Compilation DVDs and VHS cassette of the SCENARIOS films are distributed on a non-profit basis to NGOs, educational establishments and other community organisations. The films are available in a growing range of African and European languages including English, French and Portuguese, Dioula, Mooré, Wolof, Pulaar, Twi, Mina, Yoruba, KiSwahili and Fon. Additional language versions are available courtesy of project partners. A Film Users' Guide to accompany the cassette is available in English, French and Portuguese.
Over 45,000 copies of the films (DVDs and VHS cassettes) of the films have been distributed in Africa to date. It is impossible to estimate accurately how many people have been reached by the compilation video to date, but there can be little doubt that it runs into at least hundreds of thousands. Television broadcasts of the films are likely to have reached tens of millions of Africans.
Quantitative and qualitative evaluation data indicate that the films are highly effective at generating dialogue and reflection about HIV/AIDS; that they meet with near-universal approval; and that they encourage positive attitudes and responsible sexual behaviour.
The SCENARIOS films have been used extensively in training courses and local prevention activities from Guinea to Djibouti, Burkina Faso to Swaziland. They have been used as the foundation for counselling and for lifeskills training modules (Burkina Faso, Mali). They are projected by mobile cinemas in urban and periurban neighbourhoods and in remote rural areas (Cinomade; PLAN International, FESPACO...), shown on long-distance bus services and in video clubs, on closed-circuit television in hotels, and in waiting rooms of clinics and counselling and testing centres. They are also used by and for migrant Africans within Africa and on other continents, and in foreign language teaching. The British Council, for example, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, uses the films in their English Language Clubs in secondary schools throughout Senegal.
In addition to DVDs and VHS cassettes, the films are also distributed
on CD-Rom, for projection on laptops in remote rural areas and for use
in Internet centres (DynaEntreprises, Senegal).The Scenarios from the
Sahel CD-Rom won the prestigious Silver Award at the 23rd Annual Telly
Awards 2002 in the "Non-Broadcast Film/Video and TV Program"
category. Audio versions of the films are also available for radio broadcast.
The films are shown at major international AIDS conferences (ICASA, Ouagadouogu, 2001; International AIDS Conferences in Barcelona, Bangkok and Toronto) and are requested by film festivals around the world. Partners such as TV5 (Paris), Emory University (Atlanta) and OneWorld (UK) have made it possible to view the films over the Internet. They are used as educational resources in the Anthropology, African Studies and Public Health departments of several US universities.
View the full distribution report 2003-6.
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