The President of Tanzania, His Excellency Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, is a big fan of JHU∙CCP’s behavior change campaigns. He displayed his high regard during a visit to the CCP booth at an exhibition celebrating Tanzania’s 50 years of independence.
The independence celebrations which took place across Tanzania in December 2011 highlighted the many accomplishments made by the government and public and private sectors over the past 50 years. CCP’s Tanzania office participated in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare exhibition. The CCP booth showcased behavior change communication activities implemented as part of HIV/AIDS, malaria and advocacy projects. In his visit to the CCP booth, President Kikwete was joined by Dr. Haji Mponda, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
“So this is Johns Hopkins?” asked President Kikwete upon noticing a banner for the Fataki campaign.
The Fataki campaign was created by CCP’s Strategic Radio Communication for Development (STRADCOM) project, a five-year, USAID/PEPFAR-funded project in Tanzania, to increase communication about HIV and the risks of cross-generational sex. Thanks to the campaign, Fataki has become slang for an older male sexual predator of girls and young women. As evidence of the campaign’s success, the President has referred to Fataki in his speeches.
President Kikwete’s familiarity with CCP’s work in Tanzania extended beyond the highly successful Fataki campaign. He completed the slogan of CCP’s most recent behavior change campaign: Chonde Chonde! Ulevi Noma! (Careful Careful, Being Drunk is Dangerous), a campaign that addresses responsible drinking and the risks of alcohol. He mentioned his favorite radio spot of the Chonde Chonde! campaign, and also mentioned that he follows the radio serial drama Wahapahapa (The people from right here). This popular soap opera has run on 16 radio stations since December 2007 and models appropriate behavior in the context of the HIV pandemic.
“Well done,” commended President Kikwete as he thanked CCP for everything it is doing in Tanzania.
Learn more about CCP’s work in Tanzania, including the Communication and Malaria Initiative in Tanzania (COMMIT), and the Tanzania Capacity and Communication Project (TCCP).
