THERE is a new way of treading into issues once thought to be too prickly for an open discussion.

So, every 7 PM on Sunday and 9 PM on Wednesday families converge at living rooms to watch the National Aids Commission (Nac) sponsored [Banja la Mtsogolo] BLM Talk Show-the seemingly growing gateway to an open discussion on sexual reproductive issues that have for long been shut out of the public domain.

The show browses through issues that revolve around HIV and Aids. For example, the talk show recently brought to the discussion table a case of people living with HIV and Aids who give Antiretrovirals (ARVs) a kick after being prayed for by their church leaders.

Not so long ago, the show took the audience to Kasungu for a meeting with commercial sex workers who forego nursing their babies to go and hook men for a livelihood.

Then it was about a man in Lilongwe who has branded himself 'woman tester' for his exploits as a pimp—'inaugurating' new sex workers in the area and later 'selling' them to daring men. What about that one on how some tobacco farmers in Kasungu and beyond who ride on their hard-earned cash and forsake their families—opting for a swim in the sea of prostitutes? The list goes on.

Hosts Mphatso MacDonald Chaluluka and Eliza Kambuwa hold the Hckets to the tram navigating the hither to thorny issues. They go out to the field and hunt for issues.

Chaluluka, host from the day of the show's inception in November 2006, says the programme—while it was designed to appeal to all sexually active people —wears an edutainment form to appeal to the youth who are the most infected and affected by the HIV and Aids scourge.

BLM's Advocacy and Public Relations officer Lawrent Kumchenga counts among the show's successes the fact that "myths and ill-conceived beliefs about HIV and Aids and other sexual reproductive health issues have been investigated and busted".

"We have successfully brought to the fore 'taboo topics' and facilitated sober discussion leading to correction of misconceptions.

"Again, the show necessitates that culture's positive attributes be promoted so as to be utilised in the fight against HIV and Aids and sexual reproductive health in general," says Kumchenga.

He holds that the affected people or lay men on a spectrum of issues have their worries looked into by people in the know.

"The show brings about real life issues like HIV and Aids as narrated by people with unique experiences. Professionals come in with solutions and advice, there-fore making the issues become so touching as to institute behavioural change in the audience," says Kumchenga.

Kumchenga says one of the challenges could be logistical as it is sometimes practically impossible to have as many shows from each of the districts. He also says some remote areas have bad roads.

"But the effort is there. We would like to cover as many areas as possible just as we would like to have an audience from as wide an area as possible.

"That is why we, with the help of Nac, would like to have a sister programme on radio so that even people in areas without television reception could learn from the pro¬gramme," he says.

– Herbert Chandilanga - The Weekend Nation Newspaper

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         BLM Talk Show Challenges the Physically Impaired     


In a society where an overwhelming majority of the of the physically challenged are not educated, and not active members of the society, Ireen Nkhombanyiwa – a young lady with a haunch bag – seems quite different and is capable of holding her own.

Speaking during BLM Talk Show, the Chikwawa based business lady challenged fellow physically challenged people to be self reliant.

“I have a Malawi School Certifi cate of Education, and two telephone bureaus. My brother opened one bureau for me and I was able to open another one through proper management. And with more resources, I intend to go into a bigger business.

“I am able to look after myself and mix with other people even in beer drinking joints”, she said adding that she is well informed about HIV/AIDS and takes all precautions to avoid contracting it.

During the television programme, the audience advised Ireen to be prayerful in order to earn Gods blessings and prosper more in her businesses. The audience also advised other physically impaired people to also be well informed on HIV and take all precautions to avoid contracting it just like Ireen. Ireen is not married.

– Lawrent Kumchenga

                               BLM Wins Talk Show Funding                     

BLM has won one year funding for its television programme BLM Talk Show from the National AIDS Commission (NAC) following show’s outstanding impact. The public has recommended BLM for opening up debate on HIV/ AIDS related issues in the programme. BLM introduced the television programme in 2006. The show is envisaged to be interactive and it depicts real life situations in order infl uence behavioural change amongst the target groups (sexually active Malawians). The interaction is in the form of live audiences that is invited to an auditorium to participate in a lively presentation and discussion of various health-related subjects. The funding will run for one year.

- BLM Staff

                               More on the BLM Talk Show                        

Banja La Mtsogolo proudly launched a Talkshow programme on the local TV station, Malawi Television
in December last year. The Talkshow programme is seen by BLM as a strategic tool whereby the Malawi
nation can bring to light some of the critical health and social-economic issues that have not had a forum
so far where they can be openly discussed. The TV programme is also used as a channel through which
awareness is created about various issues that affect people’s Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH).

A lot of fascinating issues have been featured on the Talkshow
programme so far. One such story is that of an 18 year-old young lady who until being featured on the show was living in Bangwe, a township in the city of Blantyre. She was working as a prostitute in the community and targeting men of all ages. During the show she narrated how her early marriage crumbled forcing her to go into prostitution in order to support her two small children.

What shocked the audience was the revelation she made that she is HIV positive and the audience was further dismayed to learn that the men she has sex with insist on no condom use during the encounters. The woman however told the audience that she makes it a point to let her men know of her sero-status. One might wonder what response she gets from the men when they are told this! “ Ukunama! Momwe ukuwonekeramu sungakhale nako!” meaning, “You are lying, not with the way you are looking!”. And so they go ahead to have unprotected sex with her!

Such topics on the show have sparkled the public’s renewed interest in the issues about the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Through the program people are increasingly made aware of the attitudes that underlie the spread of the HIV virus and what needs to be done to reverse the trend.

Other issues that have been tackled on the programme range from general SRH issues, poverty and the girl child, youth sexuality and other social issues that in one way or another impact on people’s SRH.

Felistas Sibweza