USAID/Sierra Leone: USAID Soap Opera Most Popular Show in Sierra Leone

JUNE 8, 2004

USAID Soap Opera Most Popular Show in Sierra Leone

Atunda Ayenda, or "Lost and Found," a radio soap opera sponsored by USAID, has captured the imagination of Sierra Leoneans, and has become the most popular radio show in the country.

"Atunda Ayenda," ("Lost and Found&" in the Mandingo language), the first radio soap opera ever broadcast in Sierra Leone, has quickly become the most popular and most widely listened to program on the air. Created in the "Talking Drum Studios" in November 2001 through non-governmental organization Search For Common Ground (SFCG), the show uses a common form of entertainment -- the radio soap opera -- to help people understand political and social events that have unfolded as the country's ten-year war has come to an end and the peace process continues.

Actors from Atunda Ayenda in the Talking Drum studios in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Alhaji Sesay, Winstinia Johnson and Patricia Fallah Hollist, character actors from the USAID-sponsored drama 'Atunda Ayenda.'

The 15-minute program is broadcast Monday through Friday on all major radio stations in the country. The program is typically broadcast at 5:45 p.m., a prime-time evening slot that follows BBC's "Focus on Africa."

Atunda Ayenda reached episode 600 in mid-May. Over the past few months, the soap has been dealing with issues pertaining to the local council elections. In episode 600, for example, the characters dealt with misplacement of voter ID cards, interference by paramount chiefs in the election process, the voting process, and non-violent political campaigning.

Says Kemoh K. Daramy, Acting Head of the Drama Department of Talking Drum Studios, "In creating Atunda Ayenda, our main objective in the beginning was to help with disarmament, and to give ex-combatants good information about the process. There were at times false promises, and we had to encourage people to resolve problems peacefully. Then our themes revolved around demobilization, and finally reintegration -- how to accept these guys in their local communities."

Although the subjects are in fact the serious subjects being tackled by Sierra Leoneans as they work to rebuild their lives, reconstruct their communities, and reintegrate ex-combatants into the fabric of society after ten years of civil war, Atunda Ayenda presents topics through humor, music, and a lively cast of ten regular characters, most of which are known and recognized by most Sierra Leoneans. There is "Dragon," for example, an ex-combatant who did not disarm, and "Makuta," who escaped from being held by Dragon and went to Nigeria. The topic of smuggling is fleshed out around her character at one point at she is accidently caught up in a smuggling scheme. As her conscience kicks in, Makuta will eventually leave the smuggling business and use her cut of the money to build a school in Sierra Leone.

Isatu Mansaray, program editor and actress in "Atunda Ayenda."

Isatu Mansaray is an editor who helps produce 'Atunda Ayenda.' She is also the character named &Safie,' Makuta's ex-combatant girlfriend in 'Atunda Ayenda.'

"Tapia" is in love with Makuta, and although he's a good soccer player, he has to deal with his own hot temper. "Kalilu" is another well-known character who originally became a rebel to stop corruption, but learned that he had to change his tactics to achieve that end. "Kawta" is a rebel who helped plan the original incursion into Sierra Leone but then backed out when he saw that the other rebels were simply promoting their own interests. He eventually decides to build a youth center, and is later nominated in local elections as a community leader.

The major characters, although all fictional, move in real-life settings that echo life in Sierra Leone such as in offices, schools, sports arenas, and at home in urban or rural settings. Blama Sandama Kallon, voluntary staff member of community radio station "Radio Moa" in Kailahun, says that the station receives cassettes of Atunda Ayenda to rebroadcast, and that it is by far the most popular program on the air. "Even those who fled during the war can listen, and begin to understand what happened in their absence. They describe the fear and the unfair phase of things we experienced. When you listen, you learn how people were doing things and how matters were resolved, and also why people became lonely or aggressive in their character, and how they are changing rapidly. I myself listen -- I love the show!"

Isata Mahoi, program editor and actress in "Atunda Ayenda."

Isata Mahoi, a Talking Drum Studio program editor, is better known to listeners as 'Mamy Saio,' Dragon's auntie in 'Atunda Ayenda.'

Says another listener in Freetown, "I feel like I know those people. We all know someone like Makuta, or Dragon. They talk about things that really happened here."

Through radio programming like "Atunda Ayenda," USAID is finding innovative ways of disseminating information to encourage peace, reconciliation, and informed participation in public affairs. Current programming, including the drama Atunda Ayenda, has dealt with governance issues, with the current hot topic being the local council elections.

Information has focused mainly on voter education, the exhibition of the provisional voter registry, candidate nominations, objection procedures, and a free and fair local council elections and the process of government decentralization. In addition, regular broadcasting of the popular TDSSL radio programs, aired in local languages, continues to provide on-air forums for discussing various issues such as HIV/AIDS, diamond mining, local governance, elections, agricultural and environmental practices, and corruption.

Steven Swankay in the Talking Drum Studios in Freetown

Steven Swankay is a young journalist who participates in the 'Golden Kids News' broadcasts on topics of concern to children.

USAID-sponsored broadcasts aired across the country place a strong emphasis on topics of importance to women and youth, who comprise two-thirds of the country's population and have been marginalized and have often not been included in key decision-making processes that affect their political livelihood, and their well-being. In addition to Atunda Ayenda, "Golden Kids News" gives children the license to express topics of concern and interest to them, and gives them the chance to work as young journalists; "Trait Tok" ("Straight Talk&" in Krio) targets youth with HIV/AIDS prevention messages and good information about the disease; and Common Ground News is a straightforward national news program.

Another relatively new drama, "Olu," highlights the difficulties children face in a peri-urban situation. In the first 20 episodes, the issues dealt with were bribery and teacher/pupil sexual relations. In one episode, parents are to blame for sending their daughter to bring food to her teacher in the evening. This is tacit encouragement from the parents to engage in inappropriate activity.

USAID-sponsored radio programs in Sierra Leone now average close to 59 hours per week in covering current issues on 14 radio stations, and have sponsored the establishment of five community radio stations, including Radio Moa in Kailahun.

Sierra Leonean singer Steady Bongo in concert in Kono, Sierra Leone. Photo courtesy of Talking Drum Studios Sierra Leone

Complimentary outreach events sponsored by USAID in Sierra Leone include Peace Festivals ... here Steady Bongo is performing with MOCKY in Kono District.

Complimentary outreach events organized by Search for Common Ground such as peace festivals, community drama, and commemoration of national and international days such as world literacy day, or international women's day have been used to start on- and off-air discussions that have sparked intense dialogue among local people, and have advanced their contributions to national dialogue. Radio was also used effectively in Sierra Leone to monitor the May 2002 elections for non-violence and transparent voting systems, and to announce election results.

In addition to the radio programs currently being broadcast in Sierra Leone, USAID is now working in Guinea and Liberia through on- and off-air activities that promote peace and security, human rights, and democratic practices including freedom of expression.

In Guinea, where radio media has not yet been liberalized, USAID-sponsored NGO the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) has organized a series of fora throughout Guinea on Civil Society and the Media to encourage dialogue on the use of media for development needs. In addition to giving out good information about current legislation and citizen's rights, including the right to receive information, the fora are also meant to prepare civil society actors to use media to respond to the development needs of the population if and when radio is liberalized in the country.

IFES Information and Communication for Development seminar in Conakry, Guinea

A USAID-sponsored IFES activities such as the 'Information and Communication for Development' seminar held from May 18-20 in Conakry, Guinea, are helping prepare Guinean citizens to use media to respond to development needs.

Some programs are already being broadcast across borders. For example, USAID-sponsored Radio Moa, a community radio station in remote Kailahun District that borders both Guinea and Liberia, Kissi radio programs such as "How Can I Find You?" are helping refugees and displaced people find relatives and loved ones who fled or were displaced during the war. Other programs broadcast by Radio Moa provide local communities with news about the country's peace process, which has encouraged both a better understanding of the local and national political situation, and encouraged repatriation.

In Liberia, where fighting factions signed a peace agreement in August 2003 and an interim government is now in place, USAID partner SFCG is drawing on lessons learned in Sierra Leone and applying them to the Liberian context. There, SFCG programming is currently being designed to support the peace process by focusing on topics such as civic education, human rights, career guidance counseling, and personal development.

Programs already being broadcast include "Face to Face With HIV/AIDS," which has devoted recent episodes to discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. "Situation Report" is a communication forum between internally displaced people, refugees and the UN to help those who are voluntarily returning to Liberia learn about the country conditions, and make informed decisions.

A soap opera series similar to Atunda Ayenda called "Today is not Tomorrow" is also in the works. The USAID-sponsored series will use a format similar to that used in Sierra Leone to help support the country's process of disarmament, and to promote peace and stability now that Liberia's 25-year civil war has finally come to an end, and Liberians begin to rebuild.

Story and photos by Laura Lartigue