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Tsha Tsha TV Series II: Modeling Positive Health Behavior



PUBLICATIONS

  • Evaluation report for Tsha Tsha
  • Tsha Tsha Success Story
  •  

    Cost per person
    Based on national audience rating data provide by the South African Broadcasting Corporation, Tsha Tsha reached an average of 1.8 million viewers each week, for an estimated cost of $.55 per peson reached.

     

    BACKGROUND
    BillboardIn March 2004, HCP received Emergency Plan funds earmarked specifically for the research, development, and production for 26 new episodes of the Tsha Tsha TV series. Tsha Tsha, the entertainment-educate drama series, forms the centerpiece for the collaboration between HCP, South African Broadcasting Corporation Limited (SABC) and the Centre for AIDS Development Research and Evaluation (CADRE). The series focuses on young adults living in an HIV-positive world and utilizes identification with key characters and problem-solving approaches as part of its educational methodology.

    Based on Tsha Tsha's overwhelming success, USAID has awarded resources to HCP to help continue the Tsha Tsha series, expand HCP's role in its development and production, and broaden Tsha Tsha's reach into communities through work with NGOs and civil society organizations (CSOs). Tsha Tsha will serve as a stimulant to mobilize communities to respond to HIV/AIDS.

    ScreenshotHCP worked on the research and development of the initial 26 episodes of the series providing input into the development of the characters, the unique message style of the series, and the design of the impact evaluation. Results from the evaluation after the first 13 episodes show a significant impact in relation to improved attitudes to HIV/AIDS, stigma, living openly and positively with HIV, VCT, and faithfulness.


    ACTIVITY SUMMARY
    BillboardWith Emergency Plan funding, HCP will provide up to $1.21 million to SABC to produce and broadcast 26 new episodes of the Tsha Tsha TV series. Tsha Tsha is a gritty Nguni language educational drama (with English subtitles) set in the Eastern Cape that focuses on the lives of several young people who are exploring love, sex and relationships in a world affected by the realities of the AIDS pandemic. Set in a fictional rural town, the drama explores young peoples' lives as they make the transition into adulthood. The series depicts many challenges that young people face in South Africa and aims to enhance young peoples' capacity to reflect on problems, engage in developing solutions, and to become active agents to choose the shape of their own lives.

    SABC will be responsible for the production, marketing and broadcast of Tsha Tsha while HCP will provide technical assistance in all aspects of the show's design, scripts, production, research and evaluation, and fund all elements of production. HCP will also work with SABC to set up community viewing clubs for the series.

    To complement and deepen the impact of Tsha Tsha, HCP will continue its partnership with the CADRE. HCP collaborated with CADRE on the research and development for Tsha Tsha's first season. This year CADRE's role will be expanded to include a community mobilization component, in addition to carrying out research. CADRE will coordinate an effort among a diverse group of NGOs and civil society organizations to spark a dialogue on HIV/AIDS themes emanating from each week's Tsha Tsha broadcast. CADRE will partner with ABC Ulwazi, an NGO that develops educational programming for community radio stations, to expand on its successful entertainment-education radio series, Rebuilding Civil Society. Each week, ABC Ulwazi will focus on two of the key HIV/AIDS-related themes from Tsha Tsha. The series will be translated into four major languages and broadcast by 60 local community radio stations reaching 6 million listeners.

    CADRE will also partner with DramAidE to continue its work on Health Promoters , a program based at higher education institutions that places HIV-positive young people in existing peer education programs to provide a “face” for HIV/AIDS and thereby personalize HIV/AIDS issues. DramAidE will train the Health Promoters in VCT, positive living, and how to initiate or strengthen AIDS campus support groups. The Health Promoters will use the Tsha Tsha series as a focal point for their on-campus entertainment-education activities.

    CADRE will also work on strengthening the knowledge management capacity of ABC Ulwazi, DramAidE and other CSOs by helping them to establish HIV/AIDS-related databases and resource centers. In addition to the community mobilization work, CADRE will expand its role in Tsha Tsha's development, monitoring, and evaluation. They will collaborate with HCP and SABC on script development and designing of the program's key messages. They will also carry out all of the monitoring and impact research for the television series. HCP will provide CADRE with approximately $1.35 million to carry out all of the above activities.


    EXPECTED OUTCOMES

    • Increased knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS related issues (e.g., VCT, ARV, and PMTCT)
    • PLWHAs encouraged to live more positively and seek HIV/AIDS related services, including VCT, PMTCT and ARV treatment when appropriate and available
    • Increased rate of adherence to ARV treatment
    • Increased dialogue concerning HIV/AIDS care and support
    • Decreased stigma associated with HIV/AIDS
    • Increased self-efficacy of young persons regarding positive decision-making, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills to promote a healthy lifestyle

    KEY OUTPUTS

    1. Production and broadcast of 26 24-minute episodes of an entertainment-education TV youth drama (Tsha Tsha) dealing with youth lifestyles against the backdrop of HIV/AIDS
    2. Community viewing clubs established to view and actively discuss the Tsha Tsha episodes
    3. Capacity built of civil society organizations to respond to HIV/AIDS.
    4. Young people linked to HIV/AIDS support networks in higher education institutions.

    ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED

    • HCP Core Partner: CCP, AED

      CCP is responsible for providing technical assistance to Tsha Tsha Series II.

      AED is responsible for providing backstopping to all South Africa activities from the HCP Baltimore office.
    • Others: CADRE, SABC, ABC Ulwazi, DramAidE, Curious Pictures, and other CSOs

    PUBLICATIONS


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    PARTNERSHIP


     Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs in partnership with
    Academy for Educational DevelopmentSave the ChildrenThe International HIV/AIDS Alliance
    Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

    Photos courtesy of Photoshare, a service of The INFO Project.

    USAID

    Disclaimer: The information provided on this web site is not official U.S. Government information and does not represent the views or positions of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the U.S. Government.

    faith-based initiativeHIVAIDS