TV Story
Episode 1
Free State – Bonolo Primary School
Topic: Gender
The Buddyz decide to tackle the issue of gender equality in their community.

Many of them feel that the best jobs and community positions are reserved for men. One of the boys in the group questions whether women can be taxi drivers or are even good drivers. The Buddyz do a test and change their young friend’s mind. They decide to approach the Madikwe Town Council and ask if they can paint messages about gender equality on the garbage truck which go around the neighborhood, and are granted permission. The Buddyz take it a step further and decide to go around asking community members whether they believe men and women are equal, those who said yes get their noses painted blue, those who disagree get their noses painted red. You can rest assured the whole community had something to talk about!

Episode 2
Progress Primary School
Topic: Nutrition and Lifestyle
The Buddyz feel they know what being unhealthy means, it means being fat!

They are more concerned their family members, who they believe are fat and therefore unhealthy. They interview their family members and realize are misinformed about this issue. They have a discussion with a nutritionist to explain what a healthy lifestyle is, how to maintain a healthy diet and the importance of exercise. She explains this to them in detail and that it is insulting to call people fat! The Buddyz realize that they should also eat and live healthily. They decide to start exercise and swimming together to keep fit!

Episode 3
Kwazulu Natal – Ncutu at Esibanini Primary School
Topic: HIV/AIDS
The Buddyz from Nqutu live in a deeply traditional area where the late traditional healer, Sosobala lived.

They are concerned about how HIV/AIDS is affecting their community. They witness their potential leaders, teachers, and doctors dying from AIDS and want to find out how best to this pandemic. They want to determine which the best treatment between western and traditional medicines is. They ask the opinions of community members and the findings are varied. Some believe in the power of prayer, others believe in traditional medicines whilst others believe in western medicine. The Buddyz decide to go and interview a traditional healer, a person using ARV’s, and a medical doctor. They discover there is no cure for HIV/AIDS. ARV’s are the only long term treatment for HIV/AIDS and that people should not mix western and traditional medicines. The Buddyz still don’t agree at the end of the day but agree on one thing; they can educate their community about staying HIV negative. They make a mock television and go out to the local taxi rank, a teachers meeting and their sister school to deliver 5 important messages about staying HIV negative

Episode 4
Northern Cape – Galeshewe at Zingisa Primary School
Topic: Disability
Have your tissues handy for this episode!

The Buddyz decide that they want educate kids about disabilities. They go to Retlameleng School for the disabled to investigate and to play.At Retlameleng, the Buddyz learn sign language. There is serious issue of miscommunication between the taxi drivers and disabled children. The Buddyz and the disabled children go and teach the taxi operators how to sign. The Buddyz identify that the disabled are not catered for in churches. The local priest admits there is a problem. The Retlameleng School for the disabled also want to open their own club and the Retlameleng Buddyz Club begins.

Episode 5
Free State – Bloemfontein (Thabanchu) at Moipone Primary school
Topic: School as nodes of care
The Moipone Buddyz worked with the Dept. of Agriculture learning how to start and maintain a vegetable garden at their school. They have noticed that there are many people in the community who battle to make ends meet and to feed their families. The Buddyz feel they could help them by teaching them how to start and maintain their own gardens. They ask there principal for permission and help to bring the community together at the school. They decide to use their own garden at the school for practical demonstrations and they plan an agenda for the lessons. The community arrives in full force and is very impressed by the Buddyz tips and ideas. The Buddyz also show them how to do certain things in their garden behind the school. Pleased with their success the Buddyz know someone who they feel would benefit from having a garden. She has 3 children and they often do not have food, the Buddyz see this as an excellent opportunity to help her help herself.

Episode 6
Gauteng – Soweto at the Emndeni Community Library
Topic: Gender equality
The Buddyz want to start a support group for children who are affected by domestic violence. They speak to principals of the schools identified, to find out what the signs of domestic violence are for their support. The principals agree to support them. They decide to talk to a support group called Men as Partners on how to start a support group for children affected by it. They are advised to make posters with information about domestic violence and put it up at their schools. They raise money for this exercise and ask a printing company to donate their services to them. They develop a poster informing the community about the different kinds of domestic violence and telephone numbers of places to call for help or advice. Delighted with their achievement the Buddyz put up their posters in the different schools.

Episode 7
North West – Mothibistad at Goganong Primary School
Topic: HIV/AIDS
The Buddyz tackle the problem of unemployment and accessing ARVs in the community. The Buddyz visit Segomotso, to find out how they can help her. They discover that there are 16 people living in one house with only one person employed in the house. The Buddyz discover that it takes R150 to get to the hospital in Taung. The Buddyz decide to raise funds for Segomotso to travel to Taung. They begin selling beads. Find out if they meet their target.

Episode 8
Maphakama Primary School
Topic: Gender Equality
The Buddyz are concerned that they do not see gender equality in their community. Women seem to do everything, especially at home, and men are the ones who own land and get more respect. They also notice that there are no male secretaries in the Chiefs office and they want to know why. They also want to know why men and women have specific jobs to do and why this has not changed. They ask the community what their views are and get mixed reactions. Some agree in equality whilst others don’t. They visit the Chief who makes it very clear that he agrees with his ancestors’ ways- men and women have specific roles in society and that this will not change. He allows the Buddyz to call a community meeting to talk to the community about gender equality. They get the local radio station to make an announcement and they are pleasantly surprised when the community arrives in full force the following day for the meeting. The meeting becomes very interesting one and allows people to talk and share their differing views. The elders put things into perspective for the Buddyz and everyone seems happy and richer for the experience.

Episode 9
Polokwane - Boyne at Badimong Primary School
Topic: School as nodes of care
The Buddyz establish that there is a child who does come to school as he spends most of his time looking after his mother who is very ill.

The Buddyz investigate what they can do to help. Eventually the principal, a representative from the home based centre and the School Governing Body meet to see how they assist others who are affected in similar ways.

Episode 10
Free State - Vredefort at Mokwalo Primary School
Topic: Access to ARVs
The Buddyz decide to go to the local clinic to find out about the availability of ARVs in their community. They discover that the local clinic does not provide patients with ARVs and the closest hospital that the ARVs are available is about 30 minutes drive away.

To explore this issue from a patient perspective, they visit Jane to find out about the difficulties living with the disease and access to medication. One of her challenges is transportation since the hospital is so far away. They make a breakthrough when the sister from the clinic informs them of daily transport from the clinic to the hospital but at 04h00. The Buddyz discuss their findings and conclude that the real problem in accessing ARVs is actually the transportation costs. They investigate further and are delighted when they are told that the hospital is trying to establish more centres in the community where ARVs would be available.

The Buddyz pledge that they won’t stop trying to better the transport to and from the hospital.

Episode 11

The Buddyz have a friend in their group who has to walk with her little brothers for two hours, every day in order to get to school on time

 

She asks the Buddyz to help her find a suitable home closer to school, so she and her brother are not put in danger trying to get to school or desperate to find money to get transport to school. The Buddyz approach a local newspaper to place an advert in the classified for a home. Another group go to a local estate agent to ask for help in finding a suitable home whilst the rest of the group raise money by washing their teachers’ cars to raise money to help Collette get to school in the meantime.

 

The estate agent and newspaper agree to help the Buddyz. The car wash raises about R180 which they pass on to their facilitator to keep in a safe place until their friend needs it.

 

In this episode, the Buddyz investigate why spaza shops and street vendors refuse to take their 5c pieces.

 

The Buddyz try to find solutions and are visited by a financial adviser to give them more information on the coins.

 

The Buddyz convince some sellers to accept their coins.

 
Episode 13

The Buddyz identify two children in the community who need wheelchairs.

 

The local hospital explains how to access wheelchairs and they cost R11, 000 for both.

 

The Buddyz attempt fundraising but don’t raise the full funds so they promise to persevere until they can fulfil their promise.