The Shamba Shape Up TV show will form a self-sustaining information channel to 11 million principally rural East Africans in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania providing them with up to date information with which to improve their productivity, incomes and quality of life. The 40 episodes in 3 series over 2 years will visit 39 farms and demonstrate to the farmer, in a range of different agro-ecological zones and varying crop and livestock scenarios, how to directly and simply improve their practices. This will be filmed in an entertaining and informative “make over style”
Organisations who hold, generate and wish to communicate information concerning crops, livestock or the home, from improved inputs such to better marketing, healthier energy options and financial education, are invited to partner with Mediae in providing resources, experience content and part funding for the Shamba Shape Up TV series.
All of Mediae’s work is entirely research led and research based. This has resulted in the company having unprecedented success in communicating information to large rural and peri-urban audiences, as with “Makutano Junction” (10 million regular audience in East Africa, 143 episodes broadcast), and to be able to provide research data to partners on the extent of the impact of their work on audience’s knowledge, attitude and practice.
Each episode structure consists of an A and supporting B and C stories, and the option of product placement for commercial organisations where appropriate. The A story is focal, forming approximately 10- 15 minutes of the half hour episode. Examples include improved seed varieties and good planting practices, clean milk production, biological crop protection, better cropping practices, improved soil fertility through fertiliser loan schemes and importantly improved access and use of markets, basic climate change adaption, improved environmental use etc. just to name but a few.
As a development organisation, it is necessary to seek funds from partners, be they donor groups, research institutions or commercial organisations.
Mediae has managed to raise part of the funds ($600,000) from the African Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) and we now need other partners to help fund the first three series. This provides us with matching funds – what we raise is then matched by the grant. We raised $220,000 for series one and supported this with equivalent funds from AECF paying for the research, production, broadcast and post broadcast including content accessible on mobile phones. Once we have built an audience, completed research and then shown how useful and cost effective this approach is then existing and other content partners will participate and we will be able to roll out the next 6 series and develop a highly popular self sustaining regular regional TV show.
The programmes will be in English and Swahili and will be further broadcast or used as DVD s for training in the wider region including Eastern Congo, Rwanda, Southern Sudan, and through Africa wide broadcast on Digital Satellite TV.
We have calculated costs based on an initial pilot programme and an earlier “School Shape Up” series produced with Ford Foundation/DFID funding in 2008.
a) Initial research, identification of partners, farms and expertise and resources, and developing initial scripts.
b) Recce, filming, editing, post production and final edit of programmes for transmission,
c) Publicity on TV, national press and radio stations, then broadcast and encouragement for farmers to SMS in and receive detailed print material.
d) Research pre scripting, followed by baseline quantitative questionnaire of viewers immediately prior to broadcast and post broadcast to compare changes in knowledge attitude and practices amongst pre and post and viewer and non-viewer samples.
e) Promotion of next series and use of data to encourage further participation of partners
An investment of $50,000 USD per series will give the Sponsor at least 5-6 stories in the series sponsored relating to key issues to be agreed with their team.
Benefits to Communities
In the pilot programme the farmer made over $1,100 profit for the improved milk production (Chaff cutter and silage making story alone.)
Estimated Audiences
Series 1 (English, Swahili – Ke, Ug, Tz): 7 million
Series 3 (English, Swahili – Ke, Ug, Tz): 11 million
Research shows that adopted new practices = 15-25%
Take those who adopt as only 10% = 700,000 farmers changed.
John increases income/milk only after 1 year $1,100
Take increase as only $300
Income back into the community for one episode only:
Series 1 – 7 million audience 10% adopt = 700,000 x $300 = $ 210,000,000
Series 3 – 11 million audience 10% adopt = 1,100,000 x $300 = $ 330,000,000
This is for an investment of 1 million US dollars
Millions of dollars have been invested in research, trials, small community based programmes and establishing large organisations to support agricultural development in the East African region.
Virtually none of these organisations are scaling out the lessons learnt and the good practical applications tested to significant numbers of farmers.
Recent research shows the enormous growth of television viewers and mobile phone users in the region.
Using these two media we propose to reach at least 11 million farmers in the region and ensure that men and women are given the opportunity to understand new opprtunities and change their attitudes towards the development of their land so as to increase their incomes and improve their lives.
• Access to improved inputs (e.g seeds,fertilizer etc)
• Improved soil health and fertility
• Pest and disease management in crops and fruit and vegetables
• Value added chains for all products
• Access to markets, formation of groups etc
• Water management, irrigation, suitable seed and varieties
• Improving all livestock productivity
• Dairy development Cows and Goats
• Grassroots partnerships for better marketing
• Food security, e.g. control of Striga weed, biological control methods etc
• Access to global trade, organic products and international trading support
• Climate change adaptation and agroforestry, water management, solar
• Holistic management of resources and improved incomes then managed
• Build advantages already available
• Appropriate Financial literacy and management
PROJECTS NOT SCALED OUT FUNDED BY: USAID, DFID, EU, WORLD BANK, CGIAR, AGRA, AATF, ASARECA, CIMMYT, ILRI, KARI, KASAL, EADD, CIP, TECHNOSERVE, AGMARK, ACDI-VOCA, FARM, MATF, ICIPE etc.
• Practical application and visual demonstration of soil conservation, seed selection, plant health management and harvesting and managed marketing
• Seeds for key food crops – using quality, right varieties, pre planting storage and soaking, good planting.(Maize, Beans, Sorghum, Millet
• Managing health and improving outputs for popular fruit and vegetable
• Value chain and gatekeepers avoided
• Information dissemination re: inputs, markets, credit access etc
• Financial Literacy and personal financial management improved to ensure that additional income generated is reinvested and grows livelihoods
• Market access
• Water management best practices
• Livestock & dairy husbandry increased production for cows and goats and group markets, mobile phone services, value added.
• Information on farmer/youth group formation
• Improved productivity
• Market linkages
• Using ITC and mobile phones to support information access
11 Million Farmers informed and understand many key issues on farm improvements after 3 series .
Apart from the broadcast of the episodes to 7 million audience that each sponsor will be entitled to:
1. Feature their logo at the end of the programme under the supported by credits which will run on all episodes
2. Feature their logo in the accompanying leaflets which will be sent out to viewers who text in after the programme, requesting further information on issues raised in the show. We expect 1,000 – 2,000 requests for leaflets after each episode is broadcast.
3. Add their logo to programme advertisements in the national press, telling prospective viewers of the time and channel of the programme. This will reach an estimated 3 million Kenyans.
4. Review the first edit of the programme for comment and agree changes
5. Mediae will be conducting audience research, in which programme ratings and demographics will be assessed, as well as impact of programmes on viewers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices. Sponsors will be encouraged to participate in designing these questions. These research findings will be made available to sponsors.
6. The sponsor has the additional opportunity to sponsor the airtime and gain advertising adjacent to the series for further exposure. The sponsorship by the single partner or perhaps by a group of sponsorship partners will allow for a better programme position within the schedule and increased audience figures. This will need to be agreed with Citizen TV but Mediae will assist where possible to support this approach.
7. Mediae will ensure that each sponsor is responsible for a specific content area and there will be no competitor products marketed
8. Mediae will arrange for broadcast in Kenya (Broadcaster Citizen) and Tanzania (Broadcaster to be decided) in English and Swahili and in English in Uganda (Broadcaster will be Citizen). The episodes will be broadcast weekly – once in Swahili and once in English. Each episode will be 28 minutes long depending on country advertising and announcement times. We will seek the best timing for broadcast possible. This is not known at this time but our objective is the highest number of relevant audiences reached as possible.
9. Mediae agrees to the sponsor using the programmes and clips taken from the programmes for further distribution and in support to their work. This can be on their web sites, as training videos or promotional materials. Mediae will provide a complete set of the series that the sponsor has participated in for further use. Digital copies of the SMS requested leaflet materials will also be provided and the opportunity for the sponsor to access the data base and send their own additional material will be possible with additional charges above the cost of the “Shamba Shape Up” mail being met by the sponsor.
