Mawa langa (Short Firm Review)

Made in association with Temwa and YONECO – a 51 minute participatory HIV and AIDS awareness drama for primary school children in Malawi

PFP Volunteer Crew:
Director/Editor – Colin Stevens
Producer/Scriptwriter & Camera 2 – Elspeth Waldie
Director of Photography – Moncho Aldamiz
Sound Recording & Design – Fraser McFadyen
Production Assistant – Peter Lansdown

The dreams of Tobias and Effie are threatened, and Effie is in very real danger. Can the two children overcome the challenges that confront them?

Malawian primary school children star in this drama which deals with common issues relating to HIV & AIDS. Children watching the film are encouraged to think about, and to discuss, what steps they can take to protect themselves from contracting the disease. The film is designed to be shown in an educational environment, and is distributed with a users’ leaflet and suggestions for a wide variety of discussion topics and follow-up activities.

Mawa Langa was specially created for children in Malawi. In a country with only a 1% prevalence rate of HIV amongst children aged 5-12, this age group has been called a ‘window of hope’. If these children can be taught how to protect themselves against HIV & AIDS before they reach puberty, the result could be a dramatic overall reduction in the prevalence of the disease. With this aim in view, plans have been made to tour the film all over Malawi.

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