Abstract

"South Africa has one of the most extensive AIDS epidemics in the world with 4.7 million people infected with the HIV virus.Although there are smaller countries with higher prevalence HIV prevalence rates, South Africa has the dubious distinction of having the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS. AIDS is the largest cause of death in South Africa and as such is the national public health priority. “Soul Buddyz” is a South African mass media edutainment vehicle for children aged eight to twelve years old, based on the successful “Soul City” adult vehicle. The methodology was used to reach children with important messages about AIDS, youth sexuality, and gender.

The series was developed through an interactive process involving children, and consists of a 26-part television drama, a 26-part radio magazine programme in three local languages, and a lifeskills book distributed to reach policy makers and to enrich non-governmental organisations’ability to be child rights activists. The evaluation of the series show that 67 percent of South African children accessed “Soul Buddyz”. Binary logistical regression show that those children had increased knowledge, showed improved attitudes, and discussed the issues more than those who didn’t use the materials. Further the materials improved parents understanding and willingness to interact with children about the difficult issues such as sex, AIDS, and gender."