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
Kwazulu Natal –Port Shepstone
at RA Engar Primary School
Topic: Money
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.
Episode 12
Gauteng - Garankuwa, (North
of Pretoria) at Lorato Primary School
Topic: Money
matters
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
Polokwane - Hamanthatha at
Rapoho Primary School
Topic:
Disability
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.