Atunda Ayenda
Encyclopedia
Atunda Ayenda is a radio
soap opera
broadcast on 21 stations within Sierra Leone
and through the Internet. It is created by Talking Drum Studios and was the first radio soap opera aired in Sierra Leone. In the Mandingo language Atunda Ayenda means Lost and Found. The plot on the show revolved around young people and their experiences of the Sierra Leone Civil War
, with story-arcs addressing contemporary issues such as HIV/AIDS.
's ten year Civil War
came to an end leaving the country rebuild and in enact a disarmament
programme. Search for Common Ground
an international non-profit organization
set-up Talking Drum Studios to produce media content to address problems experienced after the war and promote peace and reconciliation. In December 2001 it produced Atunda Ayenda, which means lost and found in the Mandingo language, the first radio soap opera aired in Sierra Leone. The show quickly gained significant popularity, in a 2004 survey of Sierra Leonean radio listeners 90 percent of respondents said they regularly listened to the show and 80 percent discussed the content with family and friends.
is divided into stages with story arcs reflecting current events in Sierra Leone. Each stage is written independently in the period just prior to broadcasting so that the stories are always up-to-date. The show's narrative is a reflection of the real experiences of people throughout Sierra Leone with the writers travelling to remote areas of the country to research the stories. The plot of the show revolves around young people and their experiences of the Sierra Leone Civil War
and reconstruction after the war. Individual story-arcs address contemporary issues such as HIV/AIDS. The show was originally scripted by Kemoh Daramy but is now written by a team of writers.
The show is normally produced in the Krio language
but Talking Drum Studios has joined partners with the BBC World Service
to produce an English language
version of the show. The original producers
of the show were Desmond During and Emrys Savage with assistants including Isastu Mansaray. Some members of the cast, for example Isata Mahoi who plays Mamy Saio, also work as programme editors.
and on the internet in an mp3 format. Old episodes of the show from programme 850 are also available on the internet. The show is 15 minutes in length when its theme tune is included and is usually broadcast an evening prime-time slot at 17:45. A 30 minute summary of the show is also broadcast at the weekend.
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
broadcast on 21 stations within Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
and through the Internet. It is created by Talking Drum Studios and was the first radio soap opera aired in Sierra Leone. In the Mandingo language Atunda Ayenda means Lost and Found. The plot on the show revolved around young people and their experiences of the Sierra Leone Civil War
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
, with story-arcs addressing contemporary issues such as HIV/AIDS.
Background
In 2000 Sierra LeoneSierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
's ten year Civil War
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
came to an end leaving the country rebuild and in enact a disarmament
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms...
programme. Search for Common Ground
Search for Common Ground
Search for Common Ground is an international non-profit organization operating in nearly 30 countries whose mission is to transform the way the world deals with conflict – away from adversarial approaches toward cooperative solutions. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with the majority of...
an international non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
set-up Talking Drum Studios to produce media content to address problems experienced after the war and promote peace and reconciliation. In December 2001 it produced Atunda Ayenda, which means lost and found in the Mandingo language, the first radio soap opera aired in Sierra Leone. The show quickly gained significant popularity, in a 2004 survey of Sierra Leonean radio listeners 90 percent of respondents said they regularly listened to the show and 80 percent discussed the content with family and friends.
Narrative
The narrativeNarrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
is divided into stages with story arcs reflecting current events in Sierra Leone. Each stage is written independently in the period just prior to broadcasting so that the stories are always up-to-date. The show's narrative is a reflection of the real experiences of people throughout Sierra Leone with the writers travelling to remote areas of the country to research the stories. The plot of the show revolves around young people and their experiences of the Sierra Leone Civil War
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
and reconstruction after the war. Individual story-arcs address contemporary issues such as HIV/AIDS. The show was originally scripted by Kemoh Daramy but is now written by a team of writers.
Characters
- Dragon - an ex-combatant who did not take part in the disarmament process.
- Matuka - who was held prisoner by Dragon but escaped to Nigeria.
- Tapia - a hot tempered character who coaches football and is in love with Matuka.
Production
Krio language
Sierra Leone Krio is the lingua franca and the de facto national language spoken throughout the West African nation of Sierra Leone. Krio is spoken by 97% of Sierra Leone's population and unites the different ethnic groups in the country, especially in their trade and social interaction with each...
but Talking Drum Studios has joined partners with the BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
to produce an English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version of the show. The original producers
Radio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
of the show were Desmond During and Emrys Savage with assistants including Isastu Mansaray. Some members of the cast, for example Isata Mahoi who plays Mamy Saio, also work as programme editors.
Format
The show is broadcast weekly from Monday to Friday, on 21 radio stations within Sierra LeoneSierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
and on the internet in an mp3 format. Old episodes of the show from programme 850 are also available on the internet. The show is 15 minutes in length when its theme tune is included and is usually broadcast an evening prime-time slot at 17:45. A 30 minute summary of the show is also broadcast at the weekend.