The group created and aired a series of attention grabbing television clips to inform and educate the public on HIV & AIDS

 Who's involved?

Project leaders: Ebonie Fifita, Siaosi Hurrell, Hernan Christopher Clark, Harri Hapa, Domidilla 'Ali, Mercy Kafalava, Yvane Fifita, Ruha Fifita, Samiu 'Ofa

Lead organisation: On the Spot Youth organisation

Other organisations: Tonga National Youth Congress; Filitonu Drama Group; Family Health Association; Ministry of Training, Employment, Youth and Sports; Youth Stakeholders Steering Committee; Talaki Newspaper; Tonga Broadcasting Commission; Pacifika Youth (YSF Network); Netalia Productions; Rocky's IT Consultancy; Tulou Productions.

Timeframe: February - October 2009

Objectives:

• To utilise the creativity of young people to create powerful resources that support and promote existing efforts for HIV/AIDS awareness, and dispel the  myths and unnecessary discrimination towards HIV and AIDS
• To effectively draw the attention of young people to the severe reality of HIV/AIDS existing in a society, their rights, the facts of HIV/AIDS and the importance preventative actions play in their lives.
• To encourage more young people to take an active role in combating HIV/AIDS and build their trust and confidence in accessing professional advice, services and care.

Activities:

On the Spot created a series of attention grabbing television clips, entitled “Myth Buster”, “Get Tested”, “Heartbeat” and “Understanding HIV and AIDS”. They were previewed to On The Spot workers and other youth groups and then edited according to the feedback received. The finalized versions were aired on local television twice daily.

These ads helped to dispel myths about HIV/AIDS as well as to inform, support and encourage viewers to understand the importance of:

• Individual responsibility
• Knowledge of the ABCs to combat HIV/AIDS.
• Behaviour and attitudes that promote healthy lifestyles, relationships and communities.
• Trust and confidence in the services available
• The local, regional and global realities of HIV/AIDS.

Results:

45 days after airing had begun, a post-film survey was carried out to evaluate the success of the “Clipping HIV and AIDS through film” project. On The Spot decided to create and distribute at least 15 more DVDs for shops and other youth groups in order to better promote their message. Moreover, they intend to contact local schools in order to organize events during which the DVDs can be aired.

Downloads:

Final report [PDF]

Progress reports:

29 January 2009

MALO E LELEI and greetings to you all!!

My name is Ebonie Fifita from the friendly, south pacific islands of TONGA.

I will be working with our youth organisation - ON THE SPOT- to pull together a team of talented young people and support them in creating a series of creative, informative & educational film clips to battle the ignorance, fear, apathy, discrimination and myths surrounding the HIV/AIDS issue in TONGA. Clips will be for local television and distribution to other HIV/AIDS awareness promotion groups and organisations. As part of the project the team of young people will also be conducting public surveys, meeting with stakeholders and other HIV/AID awareness related organisations, conducting private screenings of clips to asses viewers response and film effectiveness, and working with media professionals to develop their creative skills in using film for change.

We will be working together with Netalia Productions& TMN TV2 as well as with the assistance and guidance from the National Youth Congress, Tonga Family Health association , Fili TOnu Drama group, Ministry of Training Employment Youth and Sports, Leiti Association, Youth Stakeholders Committee, And Others.

It is extremely exciting to receive this funding through YOUTH VISIONING and to hear from all of you about the exciting projects you will be initiating in your own countries.

BIG MALO!!(Thank- you) to you all for your co-operation - enabling us to receive this funding.

Best wishes to you all.

- Ebonie

Physical, Action and Social clips, Tonga

9 June 2009

The project is a bit behind schedule but still going strong. Our project leaders and selected participants recently joined a 3 day workshop in theatre skills and improvisation with a team of professionals from New Caledonia. The team of 4 from Pacifique et Compagnie visited the kingdom to work with ON THE SPOT. This was a fantastic opportunity for our project and the workshops were incredibly useful in inspiring the team to think creatively, work together, and in improving our acting skills for filming - which starts next week. The workshops were concluded with a Friday night improvisation match at ON THE SPOT's STAGE FRIGHT event. This was a good opportunity to invite the public and think about how we might organise and promote the public screenings of our clips.

Project leader Ruha Fifita also represented the team at a week of workshops in creating media messages with other HIV Stakeholders. She then represented the group at another stakeholders meeting and delivered a fantastic presentation on the group and details of the Clipping HIV/AIDS Project. Stakeholders are willing to be involved once clips are filmed and look forward to viewing and using the final clips the team creates.

Unfortunately - camera man Isi Taufahema is no longer available to work committedly on our clips as he lives so far away and recently became a full time employee at the local TV station. So he will just be assisting with music and editing. We have found another talented camera man - just down the road who will take over from Isi and is excited to be part of the project.

Challenges have been communication , transport and commitment of participants as many no longer have mobile phones or access to phones, many have multiple homes or limited access to transportation, and family and school commitments always pop up requiring us to change our plans. Also a few project leaders and participants have left the main island for personal reasons so we are opening up the team to new members since our theatre workshops where we met many new individuals who were interested in the project.

The team gets together this week to finalise story boards and create filming schedule. We hope to create 3 series of 3 clips. One showing the scientific or PHYSICAL facts about the virus - what it is and how it works etc. One series on ACTION encouraging young people to get tested and what to do to prevent getting the virus and one series about the SOCIAL issues surrounding the virus and combating myths and negative perceptions.

Many thanks to you all for all the updates and encouragement. 
stay in touch . 
:-) 
- Ebonie

Video Clips

Understanding HIV/AIDS

Myth Buster

Heartbeat

Get tested

Project Gallery