Imagine Afrika TV Show

Now in its second season, the TV show, which began broadcasting on October 20 2008, airs programmes that feature the 12 contestants competing in 3 teams over 13 weeks on location in various countries. They work with local communities to initiate efforts to address local problems. In season one, contestants worked in South Africa, Ghana, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Uganda. In the second season, the filming locations are Soweto, South Africa; Abidjan, Ivory Coast; and Mombassa, Kenya.

With the primary goal of demonstrating the power of personal initiative, self-esteem, and leadership in charting a vision for a better future for Africa, the contestants specifically focus on factors driving the HIV/AIDS epidemic such as poverty, lack of opportunity, and lack of services. In the second season, contestants have to find common ground in tackling basic problems like housing for vulnerable children, the environment, and HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care.

The show intends to draw audiences into problem solving and decision-making processes as the teams demonstrate their talents and leadership. Each week audiences across more than 30 African countries tune in to the show and vote for their favourite teams; and a special panel also scores each team's efforts. All the scoring is tallied and the teams come together for a finale.

The Imagine Afrika website was created not only to share information about the contestants, but also to serve to support the interactivity of the programme by offering a voting forum and providing information about issues related to HIV/AIDS and reproductive health. The site is available in English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic.

HIV/AIDS, Youth, Reproductive Health.

Imagine Afrika is a programme of the African Broadcast Media Partnership Against HIV/AIDS and has been developed as part of the "It Begins with YOU" campaign, a multi-year pan-African HIV/AIDS public education programme launched in December 2006. Member companies in the campaign have pledged a minimum of 5% of daytime programming (approximately one hour daily) to HIV/AIDS-related content and are devoting their own personnel, production, and budgetary resources to develop HIV/AIDS-related programming across different programme formats.