Media/Materials Clearinghouse (M/MC)

Notes: The "Journey of Life", a radio serial drama sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Office of Population (NOP) of Ethiopia, was developed to combat HIV/AIDS and the dangers of overpopulation among 15-30 year olds. The overall purposes of the radio drama were: 1) to educate listeners about the types of family planning available and about the benefits of family planning; 2) to dispel myths and rumors about family planning; 3) to motivate the audience to realize that family planning is the most important way they can improve their own lives, the lives of their families and the quality of the life throughout Ethiopia; 4) to educate the audience about the seriousness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ethiopia and that everyone can be vulnerable to the HIV/AIDS virus; 5) to persuade the audience that they can and must protect themselves and others from HIV/AIDS; 6) to motivate the audience to take the necessary steps to protect themselves and others from HIV/AIDS; 7) to encourage the audience to treat people living with HIV/AIDS with kindness and compassion. The main message in "Journey of Life" was YICHALAL (it is possible), meaning that it is possible for people in Ethiopia to improve their quality of life by planning their families and it is possible to control the epidemic of HIV/AIDS by taking appropriate measures to control the spread of the disease. The emotional focus of the series was to generate feelings of hope and confidence that determining one's own family size and protecting oneself from HIV/AIDS are things that can be achieved by all. The series sought to evoke a sense of trust in health workers as the ones who could provide necessary guidance and information on family planning and HIV/AIDS. "Journey of Life" ran once a week, for roughly six months, resulting in a total of 26 episodes broadcast. Each episode was 20 minutes in length and was aired Sunday mornings, at 10:00 am. Throughout the episodes, the storylines demonstrated: 1) men taking an active role in all family planning decisions; 2) health workers being friendly and helpful to their clients; 3) religious leaders (both Muslim and Christian) taking an active role in encouraging behavior that will prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and in encouraging the use of modern contraceptives for Family Planning; 4) religious leaders reinforcing the importance of girl children and gender equality; 5) girls and women being treated equally with boys and men less

	The Health Communication Partnership Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs in partnership with Academy for Educational Development " Save the Children " The International HIV/AIDS Alliance Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
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