Makutano Junction
Edutainment is a form of entertainment that is designed to educate and amuse. It is an important tool among international development practitioners as there is increasing evidence that it is one of the best avenues to get certain messages across. The TV soap opera – Makutano Junction, is written and produced in Kenya and is the second most popular TV drama series in the country and the most popular TV series in neighboring Uganda. It is also very popular in the rest of the East Africa Region. The popularity of the series means that people are getting the important messages which can lead to an improvement in their lives.
The following clip highlights the reality of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and the importance of using bed nets.
Listen for a moment to the beautiful and dignified voices of Africa’s mothers. Despite their burdens of poverty and hunger, they will tell you not of their endless toil but of their hopes for their children. But softly, ever so softly, they will recount the children who died in their arms as they were carried in a desperate half-day’s journey by foot from the village to the nearest clinic.
Jeffrey Sachs,
Time Magazine Jan 4, 2007
Interested in making a difference in the lives of children who are living under the threat of malaria? Please contact the Remi Foundation and be a part of the Books & Bed Nets program.
