radio training and programmes Other-Wise has run radio training courses with young women who have lived on the street at some time in their lives. The results of the first course was a radio drama and programmes highlighting the issues around young girls living on the street and in shelters. Training in the skills of: storytelling, audio recording, mixing, editing, making jingles, interviewing and proposal writing were integral parts of creating the programmes. In a follow up radio training course, girls previously trained went on to produce their own series of programmes for community radio. Mastering sound editing on computer was a vital element of the course. A four part oral history series called "Iintsomi, Amabali Akwantu" and further programmes around women and girls living on the street were realised during the course. All the programmes are intended to be informative and educational, giving prominence to the issues of being homeless and life on the street. Through allowing people to speak for themselves without inteference from "an expert". the programmes present an insider perspective on the issues. The emphasis is on positive stories and role models who have shown courage and initiative even in the most adverse conditions and have much "street wisdom" and advice for others The programmes are suitable for a broad audience, from teenagers to adults. Contact Other-Wise for copies of the programmes. Read about the participants who took part in the training and what they are up to.
"Nontlupheko" 39 min. radio drama in Xhosa, English and Afrikaans. Nontlupheko is the story of a young girl who decides to leave her abusive and destructive home situation. She arrives fresh on the streets of Cape Town without a clear plan in her head. She is approached by 2 boys strolling in the city. Her adventures begin as she is introduced to a group of "strollers" and learns about the language, rules and rituals of street life. This programme could be suitable for a broad audience, from children to teenagers and adults. It provides an intimate eavesdrop into the lives of group of strollers and the dilemma of a young girl leaving home. It was written and performed by a group of young women who have experienced life on the street and was part of a radio training course conducted by Other-Wise media with youth. It could be part of a programme with guests discussing the issues around children and youth, especially girl children and young woman, living on the street. "The Breakthrough Girls" 29 min. English Is documentary feature about five girls who live in a shelter for female street children, Ons Plek. They sing songs, talk about themselves and reveal the joys and frustrations of living in a shelter. They are girls who come from abusive backgrounds and have been through difficult times but their ideas for the future are bold and bright. The feature contains messages and advice for the community and for other young girls finding themselves in similar circumstances. This feature is suitable for a young, adult audience. It reveals an insider view of the only shelter for girls in Cape Town, Ons Plek. "The Street Educators" a series of short documentaries recorded and edited by Babalwa Nani and Felicia Grove. Frances: Street Educator. 18 min. English. Francis Fortuin tells the story of her life. She was born in Namaqualand, after her parents death she ran away to Cape Town to search for a better life. Things don't turn out so well. Twelve years later, having had her two children removed by social workers and living on the street, she realises she is an alcoholic and seeks help. Her road to recovery is difficult and involves a near death experience. Through her willpower and inner strength she makes many changes in her own life and now she is bringing about changes for others especially young mothers that live on the street. Ronalda: Street Educated. 26 min. English Death, gangsters, violence and the police were all part of Ronalda's life on the street. She left home at the age of 13 to avoid sexual abuse from her stepfather. Studying underneath street lamps, she put herself through high school. Her story is one of struggle and hope. Think twice before you close that door. 26 min. English Babalwa Claudia Nani was abused at an early age. Nobody took her abuse seriously. After discovering in an unpleasant way that she was adopted, she ran away from home. She was 14 years old at the time. Life was fun on the street, at first, no more school, nobody telling you what you are supposed to do but crime soon became a way of life. Babalwa reveals all the intimate details about life on the street from sniffing glue to housebreaking and prostitution. In the end she talks about wanting to plan her future in the right way. The making and editing of this programme bears testimony to that desire. "Iintsomi Amabali Akwantu" a series of programmes for children recorded and edited by Charmaine Carrol. Long time ago, grandmothers and grandfathers used to tell iintsomi to transfer a rich cultural heritage and as a way to influence children's behaviour. Instead of shouting or beating them, iintsomi would be told. This oral tradition is still alive as can be heard in this radio programme series. The iintsomi come from grandmothers who still remember what was told to them as children, from child care workers and from a cultural group who adapt stories to deal with issues like racism, bullying and sexism. IINTSOMI KA MAMQINEBE 17 min. Xhosa MamQinebe and MamVulani are the child care workers at Inkululekho Creche in Philippi. The telling of Iintsomi is part of the everyday routine at the creche. The children sit in a circle, a candle is lit, next to the burning candle is a freshly picked leafy twig and the storytelling mothers delight, enchant and engage the children with their wonderful folk tales. Undindi - Undindi is a boy that never listened. This is an imaginative story that involves a bird that can produce maas . Uzihle - Uzihle promised something that wasn't hers to give, hear what happens to her. IINTSOMI KA MAMVULANI 17 min. Xhosa Umbelengwane - Mbelengwane has to make a big decision about who is wrong and who is right. Udadubawo - Their aunt is a cannibal sniffing out their blood. Will the two children escape from her clutches? RONDOM MMOLLO NTSOMI AROUND THE FIRE STORY TELLERS 14 min. Xhosa This group uses stories as a way of teaching alternative values to school children. These are new stories that have been created through workshop situations. The stories deal with issues around greed, reconciliation, sexism and racism. Inkawu nomzingeli - This is a tale about the hunter and the hunted and how the roles can easily be reversed . Ingwe nengonyama - Mr. Lion and Mr. Tiger fight over whose blood it is that is flowing, both insisting it is theirs because it is red. INTSOMI KA JANE MAMBHOKAZI 14 min. Xhosa Jane Mambhokazi is 108 years old. She lives in Nqabaqa in the Transkei. Although she is nearly blind, she still loves retelling the iintsomi that she was told as a child. Umbengo - This is a tale about a brother who is devoted to his sister. This series would be suitable for children pre-school and primary school age. Women stimulating changes in their communities and the World Other-Wise and the young women trained by them were commissioned by Women's Media Watch to make a series of 10 radio programmes. Women's Media Watch is a pressure group monitoring racism, sexism and stereotyping in the media as well as providing access to the channels of communication for the least heard women. This was the fist paid commission for the Other-Wise trainees. They had the freedom to choose the topics they wished to research and make programmes about and were then responsible for the recording and editing of the programmes. This allowed the young producers to make programmes around issues that affect their lives and gave them the opportunity to develop their technical expertise. The programmes are available to community radio stations and are suitable for workshops as aids to stimulate discussion. Following is a brief synopsis of each programme. Tape 1 Side A: Domestic Violence, my fight for dignity (12 minutes) English A woman battered by her husband shares her fight to reclaim her life again. She had to leave her husband and her children in a life or death situation. She began all over again finding herself and her strength. She now works to empower other women who have experienced domestic violence and is also currently lobbying for a change in the judicial system. Recorded and edited by Charmaine Carrol, Felix Grove, Asanda Fanti Side B: The proposed new Domestic Violence Bill (8 min. 10 sec.) English Advocate Lucy Lochner from the Department of Justice talks about the proposed new Domestic Violence Bill. It goes much further than the Prevention of Family Violence Act in making the courts more accessible, through compelling the abuser to continue with financial support and by including all types of relationships. The new Bill aims at entrenching the rights of the constitution in the law and will hopefully be implemented soon with far reaching effects. Recorded and Edited by Charmaine Carrol, Felix Grove, Asanda Fanti Tape 2 Side A: Making it Happen, Women in film (10 min.) English Determined not to get their hopes dampened by a male dominated industry three young women took part in a camera and lighting course. They reflect on the course as well as sharing their knowledge and understanding of the business. Recorded and edited by Felix Grove Side B: Lesbians and The Media (9 minutes 6 sec) English Lesbians, particularly black lesbians are the most silenced voices in the media. Funeka Soldaat is a lesbian activist fighting for the rights of South African lesbians to be recognised by society and fairly represented in the media. Recorded and edited by Asanda Fanti Tape 3 Side A: Sisters in the Pacific (22 min. 33 sec.) English This programme was taped in Manilla, Phillipines during an IDWAworkshop on Global Strategies to address Gender Violence organised by International Women's Development Agency. Edwina Kodwesuva talks about her work at the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre and the formation of the Pacific Women's Network on Violence against Women. She deals with issues of bride price, rape , domestic violence, feminism and the representation of women in the media. The songs are sung by Helena Hakena from Bougainville, Rebecca Alman from Papa New Guinea and Merilyn Tahi from Vanuatu Recorded by Gabrielle Le Roux, Edited by Felix Grove and Kali van der Merwe Side: B Women and Culture (15 min. 12 sec.) English The drama takes place in the rural areas, a woman struggles to go and look for a job in town to feed her whole family. She first has to ask her husband then he has to ask his father Mkhulu. This rule cannot be broken. Listen to what happens.Kele Xorile works at DELTA (Development Education Leadership Teams in Action), she is an empowered woman and talks about her views and experiences on Xhosa culture and how it can sometimes clash with women's rights. Recorded and edited by Charmaine Carrol Tape 4 Side A: Zelda, Street Educator (21 min.) English Zelda Arendse worked for WIN which stands for Women in Need, an organisation that offers services to the homeless and their children as well as empowering women living on the streets to work together and help each other. Zelda herself lived on the street and in this programme she tells the story of her life and her work with other homeless people from inside her shack under the highway. We were very sad to hear that Zelda died under strange circumstances just as this programme was completed. Recorded by Felix Grove, Edited by Kali van der Merwe Side B: Disabled People of South Africa speak out (16min. 17sec.) English Marjorie January, Ethel Tladi and Petronella Lindes, three of disabled people South Africa's foremost activists speak about motherhood, education, and their invisibility in the media. Recorded by Gabrielle Le Roux, Edited by Kali van der Merwe Tape 5 Side A: Pornography, a workshop (32min. 08min.) English This workshop was recorded at a Women's Media Watch workshop on Pornography held in Cape Town. The women look at and respond to questions around pornography like how it makes them feel about themselves about men and about sex and relationships. Anne Mayne who worked for Campaign Against Pornography in London talks about the history of pornography and her experiences with the campaign. The group decides to take issue with Hustler magazine for the racism, classism, hate-speech and child-simulation they find in the 1998 October edition. Recorded by Charmaine Carrol, Asanda Fanti Edited by Kali van der Merwe and Gabrielle Le Roux Side B: Gloria Steinem Reflects (19 min 35 seconds) English Gloria Steinem reflects on her life as a feminist and speaks about her views on the media and pornography. Recorded by Gabrielle Le Roux Edited by Kali van der Merwe and Gabrielle Le Roux Tape 6 Side A: The Last Two Drops (28 min ) English Maria Mar born in Puerto Rico and living in New York, is a shaman, performer, writer and story teller. She visited South Africa and began to see and experience the violence that women suffer here. Her powerful story is a message to heal violence against women and learn to honour femaleness in order for humanity and our planet to survive. Recorded and Edited by Kali van der Merwe The programmes are suitable for a broad audience, from teenagers to adults. Contact Other-Wise for copies of the programmes.
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