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QuaranTV

By

Xabiso Zweni
Xabiso Zweni

Three established non-profit organisations, Masifunde Learner Development, Masinyusane and United Through Sport, joined forces to reach out to their learners during lockdown with interactive content in an entertaining TV Show called “QuaranTV”. Their primary objective is to reach-out to as many primary and high school learners as possible with positively stimulating content.

The Corona Virus found its way from Wuhan, China, over Europe, to South Africa. First Covid-19 cases have been reported in two townships in Port Elizabeth: Zwide and Motherwell.

Currently the townships feel the consequences of the 21-day lockdown such as lack of reliable food sources for learners who depended on the school feeding schemes, loss of income by informal traders and day labourers – some of whom are breadwinners – and a rapid increase of reported gender-based-violence cases within the communities.

There are many learners in challenging domestic situations without any positive stimulation and little or no resources to keep themselves entertained. Yet, most of them have access to a television. A lot of content is streamed via social media, while children in the townships often have neither the device nor the data to stream any of it. The NGOs therefore use television as a medium to reach their learners.The general approach is to film content from the organisation’s core programmes for social media and for local TV station Mpuma Kapa, formerly known as Bay TV on Channel 260. The content is developed by the teams of Masifunde, Masinyusane and United Through Sport.

Due to the lockdown, filming had to happen mainly at private homes with the available devices such as cameras and cell-phones. Content is activating and motivates viewers to participate, move and be creative. The topics featured are Drama, Music, Visual Arts, health (Masifunde), Academics / Literacy (Masinyusane) and Meditation, Cooking and Sports (United through Sport).

QuaranTV is aired Daily, Monday to Friday, at 17h30 for 30min. on Channel 260 (fka. Bay TV).

“What we offer the children shall be interactive. TV is too often one-way traffic. Our programme shall activate and stimulate our young viewers – just as our organisation’s programmes do, too.” Xabiso Zweni, QuaranTV host, and Drama Coach at Masifunde

“All three organisations focus on education and activation of children and youth in their own specific way. To sit at home without being able to work with our learners directly in a phase when they most probably need our assistance most did not feel right. Together we created the idea to launch QuaranTV.” Fiks Mahola, Co-Founder Masinyusane

“We tried to design content specifically for those children in our communities who have access to little or no resources at all.” Kasey Oliver, Fitness Coach at United Through Sport

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.