Life of Tragedies: A Discussion of the Production of a Radio Soap Opera for HIV/AIDS Prevention in Yunnan, China

This article explores the use of the "edutainment" strategy - in the form of a participatory, local language radio drama in China - to illustrate how a move away from individual-level theories to more multi-level, cultural, and contextual interventions can be an effective communication strategy.

In early 2005, author Claudia Blume spent several weeks in China's Yunnan province study 2 radio soap operas for HIV/AIDS prevention: "Life of Tragedies", produced in the Jingpo language, and "The Weeping Jade Dragon Snow Mountain", produced in the Naxi language. Both specifically addressed ethnic minorities and were part of a regional HIV/AIDS prevention project in the Mekong region, launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and financed by the Asian Development Bank. The goals of this project are to address three of the major factors contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region: high-risk behaviours, trafficking in girls and women, and drug abuse among highland minorities.

Blume focuses here on "Life of Tragedies", basing her observations on 20 semi-structured qualitative interviews carried out with the key people involved in the production process. Having provided context to explain the need for such an educational serial drama - which was designed to empower audience members (particularly those living at the periphery of the information society) to make informed choices regarding HIV/AIDS - she describes the drama and the production process. In short, the soap opera is research-based, written in minority languages, and uses both traditional and locally composed music in an effort to appeal and be relevant to local people in these areas. It is based on real life-experiences, and written in the local languages by native writers to ensure that programmes are culturally and linguistically relevant to the audience.

Blume details several findings from her conversations, evaluating the research-based interventions and on-site familiarity with the intended audience (a rather weak feature of the process) as well as the cultural and linguistic sensitivity and relevance for that audience (a rather strong feature). In her opinion, one of the main problems was the fact that a "ready-made" strategy was established; instead, she says, it would have been better to start with a more open and flexible approach: "What is the best communication tool to enable the targeted community to make informed choices regarding HIV/AIDS?" She stresses that the people answering that question should have been members of the intended audience, but also experts working for local health, social or other relevant organisations. In Blume's assessment, an open approach, enriched by community ownership of a communication project right from the start, would surely increase the chances of a project having an impact, reaching the intended audience, and contributing to education on how to make informed choices regarding HIV/AIDS.

Based on her research, Blume emphasises the importance of ensuring that an entertainment-education project is tailor-made; that it is relevant and meaningful to the intended audience; that the health information given is accurate and relevant, and that solutions offered to solve health problems can be applied realistically; that it not only reaches out to individuals but also the community; and that those addressed are actively involved in the planning and production processes. Blume includes a list of criteria that the production process of educational serial dramas needs to fulfill to meet these needs.

The author suggests that radio dramas will be more successful if they are part of multi-media campaigns or are combined with other promotional and educational activities. She elaborates: "A radio soap opera alone is not enough to bring about behaviour change. In my opinion, spin-off activities or the cooperation with other initiatives or organisations should already be addressed during the planning stage. Start-up meetings should therefore include members of local health and social services or other relevant organisations....There is a potential that those individuals and organisations will follow up the entertainment-education project with other educational activities or health services."