Press Releases

Mama Ushauri Radio Serial Drama to Educate Women about Modern Family Planning Methods

March 7, 2007

The Tanzania Marketing and Communication (T-MARC) Project, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s Reproductive and Child Health Section, will launch a six-month-long radio serial drama on reproductive health called Mama Ushauri at 10:00 a.m. on March 9, 2007 with the help of the community surrounding the Tandale Health Centre in Kinondoni District. Mama Ushauri (Mama Advice) is a fictional Tanzanian radio and television character, known by many Tanzanians for her straight-talking language and honesty. Mama Ushauri is not an expert on family planning, but a knowledgeable advocate for women and their families on issues of reproductive health. She seeks to help clear myths and misconceptions about reproductive health and encourages women to seek the advice of their family planning providers to choose a method that is right for them.

The Guests of Honour will be Mama Regina Lowassa, wife of the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, Ms. Pamela White, Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Tanzania and Mama Ushauri herself.

The 10-minute Mama Ushauri radio serial drama will be aired weekly with repeats on national radio stations including Radio Tanzania, Radio Free Africa and Radio One. Every 6-10 episodes, T-MARC will also sponsor a 10-minute “question and answer” show to allow listeners to ask questions about family planning and to reinforce key messages.

The radio drama focuses on the life and times of three sets of families and friends in the fictional peri-urban community of Goromonzi. Each storyline focuses on women in different phases of their reproductive lives. Mama Ushauri lives in Goromonzi. She is wise and bold and uses her life experiences to promote the use of modern family planning methods. She also encourages women and their partners to discuss family planning at home, and to visit their family planning health providers for more information and services.

“Mama Ushauri appeals to people on the radio and is able to reach far and wide,” says Keziah Kapesa, President of the Private Nurse/Midwives Association of Tanzania (PRINMAT). “Providers at Ministry of Health and PRINMAT clinics stand ready to help Mama Ushauri listeners choose the method that fits their needs, for both first time users and veterans.”

Pamela White, USAID/Tanzania director, commented that “although birth spacing has been clearly shown to reduce maternal mortality, in Tanzania fertility rates and maternal mortality rates are both very high in Tanzania with fully 22% of married women having an unmet need for family planning. Nationwide, only one in five married women use a modern method of family planning, a situation that is even more serious in rural areas. Trends show little change in the use of modern methods since 1999.” Ms. White continued that “Strong, healthy Tanzanian women are critical for Tanzania’s positive growth and development, and a woman who can control her family size has more opportunity to contribute to society, feed and educate her children, and look after her family. USAID hopes that the Mama Ushauri drama will encourage women to seek the services they need from family planning providers and shatter the myths and prejudices that deny women their health. Women have the right and responsibility to choose.”

Mama Ushauri’s overall message is that there is a suitable method for everyone. Mama Ushauri encourages women to go alone or with their partner to the nearest family planning provider to seek information. Through support from USAID and the Ministry of Health Reproductive and Child Health Section, T-MARC will continue with community support campaigns to ensure that women in Tanzania are able to make informed choices for their family planning needs.

The T-MARC Project is an initiative supported by the U.S. Government, through USAID, for HIV/AIDS prevention, reproductive health and child survival.

For further information contact:

Abdulrazak Badru
Communications Director
T-MARC Project
Tel: 0754-280048
Email : abadru@tmarc.or.tz