The three former Imagine Afrika contestants go through their day-to-day lives, hopes, challenges and aspirations and viewers may share in their personal triumphs and trauma as they struggle with issues related to youth lifestyle, vulnerable children and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Produced as part of the African Broadcast Media Partnership's YOU campaign, the thirteen-part Imagine Afrika III began airing across 38 countries with a prospective viewership of more than 200 million.
The show targets young adults, 18-35 years and aims to entertain, engage and educate by showing real life struggles and situations that are unscripted. Series producer Carolyn Carew says: “Imagine Afrika III is a dramatic departure from the first two series because there is no competition as such, but much more in-depth exploration of real people's lives. The result is much more compelling and dramatic, but also a more substantive opportunity to explore issues.”
This year, series anchor Nzinga Qunta, is joined by Imagine Afrika I contestant Milton Manhenje. Three more former Imagine Afrika contestants - Kitso Masi in Botswana, Coulibaly Miniatteni in Côte d'Ivoire and Brenda Amongin in Uganda - act as “i-Reporters” becoming the viewers' eyes and ears as they shadow the main characters through the series.
Masi focuses on vulnerable young people and knocking on doors looks for Ntoro, who has gone AWOL. After two weeks in prison, Ntoro says he wants to change. But where is he? His sister, Keitumetse, has been the breadwinner for him and her younger brother since their parents died. And Peo is trying to find her family and get an ID document. What next? Remember it is an election year.
Coulibaly is on the trail of three characters—Kofi, Desiree and Bolatch— who epitomise youth lifestyles in a country where young people under the age of 25 represent 64 percent of the total population. Kofi is upwardly mobile from the suburbs; dealing with trust, love and responsibility. Beautiful Des is a young mother and a dancer. Her struggle is to make a career out of dancing and confront traditional norms. She wants her one-year old daughter to live with her, but tradition dictates that the child belongs to the father. Bolatch is part of the hip-hop generation, a sensitive rapper, in need of communications with his father and to assert his identity. Will he and his father open up to each other?
Brenda in Uganda brings it home with Barbara, a single HIV-positive mother of four-month old Courtney, who went on the PMTCT programme when she was pregnant. Resourceful and charismatic, she survives by doing testimonials about her status and selling coffee and hot chocolate. She wants more out of life. Then there is Jacky who is in a PMTCT programme, nine months pregnant and it's any day now. Rachel is strong and resilient and was born HIV positive. She was raised by her grandmother who inspired her to move forward with her life. Her story is a love story. She met her husband at an HIV treatment centre; he later proposed, and now they are expecting a child.
Who of these young Africans will blow your mind, break your heart, make you stop and think? Real human drama. We go beneath the surface. Follow the drama as the characters' stories unfold — fresh, raw, real — and “Imagine the Possibility of an HIV free Generation: It Begins with YOU!”
The series was produced by a team of filmmakers from South Africa, headed by Carolyn Carew as executive producer. Mickey Dube is the series director supported by directors: Bearthur Baker (Uganda), Mangaliso Bhengu (Botswana) and Patrick Vergenyst (Côte d'Ivoire).
For more information, go to www.itbeginswithyou.com/imagineafrika/
