World AIDS Day 2013 Call-To-Action Campaign: Takalani Sesame

Takalani Sesame Invites South Africans to Help HIV-positive Muppeteer Kami and Her Friends

Make a Digital World AIDS Day Ribbon Built by the Most Participants Possible

World AIDS Day 2013 Call-To-Action Campaign: Monday, 18^th November to Friday, 13^th December

Takalani Sesame is a children’s educational series on SABC 1 & 2 and on SABC radio that has been on air for 12 years.  Much loved HIV positive character Kamogelo, also known as Kami, will commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1^st this year by staging an online multimedia campaign that invites people to build an interactive digital AIDS ribbon. People from South Africa and around the world will be invited to help their favourite muppets build the online ribbon. South Africa and the world will come together to learn about and express their love and support for those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. This campaign is also a how-to for grown-ups and older siblings to speak with young children about HIV/AIDS.

Takalani Sesame, currently in its 6^th season with brand new formats for television, also broadcasts on radio as well as on newly launched multiple digital platforms. On television, episodes are in 5 languages – Tshivenda, Sepedi, isiZulu, Afrikaans and English. On radio, episodes are currently in 5 languages will be in all 11 official languages by January 2014.

Takalani Sesame is brought to viewers and listeners in partnership with Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organisation behind Sesame Street,  the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Sanlam, SABC and the producers of the show Kwasukasukela (KWK), a joint venture between Ochre Moving Pictures and Kwa Flights of Fancy. 

Please be a Participant - How to Build the Digital Ribbon

You can help Kami and her friends Zikwe, Zuzu, Neno and Moshe make the digital ribbon grow simply by sending  a message OR posting photos of you and your friends in ribbon shaped poses OR forward  images of drawings of ribbons you have made OR just by sending your name.

You can use any of the following platforms:

-             Facebook:   www.facebook.com/takalani.sesame.edu  to like, comment, post a video, or send a picture

-             Twitter: @lovetakalani   OR   #takalanisesameworldaidsday

-             SMS: 33470     Your SMS/Text must read:   WAD Your Name and Surname

(SMS cost R1.50. Errors billed.  Free Minutes do NOT apply. T&C apply)

-             WhatsApp: 073-123-4567

-             E-mail: WAD@takalanisesame.mobi

-             Website: www.takalanisesame.co.za  

By sending Kami a SMS-text, picture and/or audio-visual message via Facebook, Twitter, SMS, e-mail, WhatsApp, or the website between Monday 18^th November – Friday 13^th December, participants will be helping Kami achieve her goal of building a digital World AIDS Day ribbon with the most number of people possible. You can play your part because every interaction with Kami counts—and builds!

Please Spread the Word

We would greatly appreciate it if you would forward this announcement to all your contacts via any of these platforms:

-             Facebook:   www.facebook.com/takalani.sesame.edu  to like, comment, post a video, or send a picture

-             Twitter: @lovetakalani   OR   #takalanisesameworldaidsday

-             SMS: 33470     Your SMS/Text must read:   WAD Your Name and Surname

(SMS cost R1.50. Errors billed.  Free Minutes do NOT apply. T&C apply)

-             WhatsApp: 073-123-4567

-             E-mail: WAD@takalanisesame.mobi

-             Website: www.takalanisesame.co.za 

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation (www.tutu.org.za) have lent their support to the campaign by filming a message to encourage viewers to get involved. Actress Kristen Bell is also lending her support to Kami’s ribbon-building campaign with a special video message of her own. These video messages will be broadcast on SABC and can be viewed on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/takalani.sesame.edu  and on our website www.takalanisesame.co.za

Educating Children About HIV/AIDS

Whilst we want our audiences, the young and the young at heart, to enjoy the excitement of making the ribbon, this call-to-action is also a thoughtful campaign to educate children, inform them, raise their awareness and help bring children together for national and international solidarity. We concretely help grown-ups and older siblings engage with and or repeat/transfer ideas and facts to young children with developmentally appropriate accuracy and clarity. Takalani Sesame always uses high-quality content resources. These reputable material assets are from various arms of the United Nations, South Africa’s Departments of Health / Basic Education / Social Development, and our very own award-winning public service announcement initiative, Talk to Me – The Make A Difference Booklet.

An impact assessment of the series revealed that exposure to Takalani Sesame on television or radio was associated with improvements in 3- to 6-year-old children’s knowledge and attitudes regarding HIV and AIDS. Educators also noted improvements in HIV and AIDS knowledge among children: Before exposure to Takalani Sesame, 25 percent of educators indicated that the children had understood or heard of HIV and AIDS; after exposure, the figure increased to 80 percent (Khulisa Management Services (2005). Impact Assessment of Takalani Sesame Season II Programe. Report prepared for the Takalani Sesame Project at SABC Educational Television. Johannesburg, South Africa.)

Heels Over Head: Bring on the cheap booze and radio DJ?

Pretorians have a real passion for jazz music. The African and Jazz nights organised by the Tshwane Music Industry Co-op are a series of concerts that take place every Friday at the Rendezvous State Theatre. While most venues in Johannesburg would not dare having jazz performances on Friday nights, especially not on their own account, the State Theatre has taken a bold step to celebrate some of South Africa's best talent.

Business is about making a profit. If the State Theatre is to become a for-profit company, they too would make sure they offer cheap alcohol to Pretorians and have a radio hip hop or house music DJ play till 5am in the morning on Fridays and Saturdays. They could sell 100 times more alcohol than they would if they had a jazz band or classical ensemble performing.

Suddenly, if you are walking around the State Theatre building as a tourist, it would not be difficult finding the party. It is disappointing to note that many South African people standing by the State Theatre building do not care or appreciate what the theatre is offering if it is not a big porn party!

As a respectable establishment that anchors our cultural memory, the State Theatre is one of the only venues in Gauteng that take a bold stance and influence cultural tastes. Guess what? They have built an audience for the African Jazz Nights and one can smell the potential for growth a mile away. It's the kind of smell that can help get rid of certain kinds of pollution in the city. When businesses say, we don't care if the moral fibre gets depleted in the name of massive profits, the State Theatre says, there's more to life than just drawing crowds and potential customers to your establishment.

SA FM, Classic FM and Radio 2000 have audiences that would appreciate the productions staged at the State Theatre. To what extent do they endorse venues that showcase live music? Budgets for culture decrease by the year. Does this mean that theaters should have a business approach to the arts in order to matter to the majority or at least 70% of the surrounding community? It's a give and take situation. Who is giving? Who cares to take? Who cares to influence others to take?