FilmAid Collaborates with IRC to Fight Anemia in Kakuma

As part of efforts to fight Anemia in Kakuma refugee camp, the International Rescue Committee [IRC] is collaborating with FilmAid International in increasing awareness on anemia. FilmAid is in the process of completing a short film that it will screen in the camp to increase awareness especially among women on how to prevent anemia.



Upon completion of filming, FilmAid will dub the film into Swahili, Somali and Arabic and conduct 30 workshop screenings targeting refugee women in the camp and 20 outdoors evening screenings targeting the general population in the camp.



FilmAid hopes to reach over 26,000 refugees with this project between December 2009 and February 2010.

FilmAid in West Pokot

Some Pictures from FilmAid production in West Pokot. FilmAid has been collaborating with Health Right International to produce films on safe motherhood.



Crew and cast







At times improvisations were called for!



The films are currently in post production and are expected to be finalized within the course of October


Previewing footage with the actors after a shoot

.."Take Control" films screenings begin...!!!!

The PEPFAR HIV films series, hereafter referred to as "Take Control" series, have been given the nod of approval by the advisory committees and have started to be screened in the camps. Already more than 20 daytime screenings and 5 evening screenings have been conducted in the camps. So far, Dorsonan, the Abstinence film, has generated the most excitement from the participants, particularly during the evening screenings - we think this is mostly due to the fact that the film is told in a story telling format, which is quite a tradition here, but mostly because the film was done well, and the actors were outstanding! The film was done in Hagadera camp, which despite being notorious for having the most difficult bunch of actors to work with, also has some of the best actors in Dadaab. Ironically we have not yet been able to do evening screenings with the films in Hagadera and that should be really exciting!!!!Also, we recorded the soundtracks for the films - so we actually have "music videos" - which are played during transitions between films and after the films - and the demand for them is so overwhelming we have been asked to produce cassettes and avail to the community!!!

PEPFAR HIV Films

The PEPFAR films developed earlier in Dadaab - Make the Choice, the VCT uptake promotion film, the yet to be named PMTCT uptake film, and Dorsonan, the Abstinence promotion film - are to start being used in the community very soon - as soon as the advisory committees have pre-screened them and given their nod of approval. The initial rough cuts have been produced and are currently in the field awaiting the Holy Month of Ramadhan to end so that the various committees in the three camps of IFO, Dagahaley and Hagadera can be mobilized for this important activity.
Once this is done, we hope to screen at least 60 daytime screenings between Sept 24th and Sept 30th! This is indeed going to be a marathon session, but our community facilitators who have been on a Ramadhan break will hopefully resume their duties with sufficient enthusiasm and fresh energy to undertake this. We also intend to do at least 5 evening screenings during this period. So it seems we will have an activity-laden last week of September.
More updates to follow.

Intern Wanted

VACANCY

Position: Project Intern – Kakuma Refugee Camp
FilmAid International (FilmAid) invites applications from qualified Kenyans to fill the above position. The position, based in Kakuma, will report to the Kakuma Program Manager.

FilmAid International is a non-governmental organization that uses film to promote health, strengthen communities and enrich the lives of the world’s vulnerable and uprooted. FilmAid is currently implementing programmes in Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Work with the Kakuma Program Manager and other project staff to ensure that objectives of the Kakuma Program are met.
• Coordinate the Kakuma Youth Participatory Video Project (PVP) which seeks to build the capacity of refugee youth to generate video content on issues affecting their community, through providing training on the following;

i. Video production
ii. Filming and editing
iii. Creative writing for video, especially scripting and screenplays
iv. Training in self expression for production

• Ensure that PVP final products are to the satisfactory standards and are approved by project staff and the advisory committee.
• Participate in the drafting of information dissemination workplans for Kakuma.
• Work closely with the Program Manager in providing regular updates of production and dissemination of PVP products and other video products through quantitative and qualitative reports.
• Work with the field staff in keeping accurate statistics of daytime and evening screening attendances, maintaining a database of the same as well as a photo gallery of daytime and evening screenings and any other project activities photos.
• Support collaboration with other agencies and attend inter – inter agency meetings and activities
• Networking
• Monitor and collect feedback on production and dissemination activities.
• Be familiar with both FilmAid and the Kenya Codes of conduct.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
1. Be of Kenyan nationality and a current student or graduate of any media institution in Kenya with focus on community media, communication for development or behavior change
2. Experience and interest in community video or other community media, mobilization and outreach as well as facilitation
3. Should possess good interpersonal skills
4. Should be culturally sensitive and able to work with diverse cultures
5. Must be computer literate with excellent knowledge of Microsoft Windows Office packages as well as editing software, (experience in Final Cut Pro an added advantage)
6. Ability to work with minimum supervision
7. Committed to Humanitarian principles and action
8. Video facilitation skills an added advantage


Please email applications with only cover letter, CV and 3 references by 23 September 2009 to: nairobi@filmaid.org

Applications to be submitted through email only

Evening Screenings & Film-making: Dadaab Round-UP

The evening screenings finally kicked off in Dadaab on Saturday night after a series of delays prompted by the prevailing security situation. The venue was in Ifo’s ‘prayers field’- adjacent to the main market aptly called Bosnia market. The turn out was impressive, with close to 2000 people in attendance. The community leadership was out in full – from the camp chairman, camp chairlady, section leaders, as well as the FilmAid advisory committee chairman, who even helped in carrying equipment and setting up! Initially most of the community leadership was apprehensive about using the prayers field for screening purposes, but the camp chairlady came out strongly and insisted that she would speak with the religious community and that the field was one of the best venues so far in the camp…and true to her word, the screening went on well without any hitches.



Evening Screening In Dadaab

The films screened included the recently FilmAid-made Verification (VRX) film, which provides critical information regarding the on-going verification exercise in Ifo and Hagadera camps, and which the leaders present during the screening insisted be screened twice.Other films screened were Isinino, the malaria film which was quite a hit, as was Road to Peace, the peace film, both of which were made in Ifo- however the major hits for the night were the PVP youth films, especially the Khat story and My Beautiful Dress, which sent the huge crowds into a frenzy, with calls for repeat! repeat!.

The staff were outstanding and managed the exercise professionally, with the help of the driver-turned-technician Onyango, whose input was key to the success of the event.

Generally the security situation was stable, with the presence of police, and the audience was very orderly and cooperative.

The HIV and Aids film making process continued with the shooting of the abstinence film being finalized in Hagadera last week Saturday the 11th July. Particular scenes were re-shot on Tuesday the 14th . All in all, it was the longest shoot and probably the best in terms of the story as well as the actors. Nevertheless, it must be said that Hagadera actors generally are an impressive lot...if you can separate them from fighting or quarreling each other, something that Dennis, the drama director had to do, most of the time! Every time they were in the car moving from one location to another, one could imagine that there was a war raging on at the back, and many a time, Khalif the driver or poor Dennis had to stop the car and threaten to throw everyone out, for some semblance of normality to prevail…funnily enough though, when the actors were hanging out in between shoots under the trees, protected from the harsh sun, they were easy going and engaged each other in banter…which led us to believe that perhaps they were allergic to either cars or confined spaces or both!!



Filming in Dadaab

The shoot was without incidence save for a scene which was being shot in Hagadera secondary school, when some students started pelting the roof in which the classroom scene was being done with rocks, making it near impossible to continue with the shoot…this forced to cancel the shooting and an alternative location sought. The reason for the students behaviour was that they were asked to keep quiet during the shoot. Generally there was a lot of support from community leaders and the shoot proceeded very well. We planned to do a night scene for the very first time in the history of film making in Dadaab but due to a communication breakdown between the drama director and the project coordinator, the scene ended up being shot in the afternoon, which was quite disappointing, but there will always be another opportunity to do this…

The way forward with the films is to begin laying them out and start the basic editing- at least one film should be ready to be used by August. This will begin from the 20th July.

By Victor Ombonya

Filming In Dadaab - The Experiences!!

The PMTCT film has been completed in Ifo last week, save for a few b-rolls. So far the footage reviewed is good. The shooting was not without incidences..and at one point a block leader expressly forbade us from using a road in his block, claiming that FilmAid was using their block to make films to make money...at some point he intimated that he was OK with the filming being done only on the road, and if the filming ‘strayed’ onto the other parts of the block, then a levy would be charged! When we refused to budge, he changed his mind and outrightly ‘banned’ us from filming, and a few phone calls later and minutes later the Ifo chairman, chairlady and his section leader came to our rescue – and 5 minutes later the tax-levying block leader was actually helping us control the crowd as we proceeded to shoot!!!!

Anyway, later on in the day, Solo and crew temporarily hijacked a handcart from a nearby water point which was hastily converted into a dolly, as a shot was proving difficult to execute under the normal circumstances…..but not before the irate owner came and unceremoniously ejected Solo from it, almost upsetting him on the ground….it was quite a hilarious scene, and everybody was in stitches..of course we quickly negotiated a water cart hire deal and parted with a hundred bob, and the previously irate owner was all smiles – we now intend to design a dolly using the water cart model, but adapt it to make it more steady and user friendly – the hijacked model left poor Liban (the PVP team leader who was considered portly enough to play the porter role) quite weak in the knees not to mention bereft of his heavy lunch taken during the lunch break.


Solo on the water cart with Liban driving him!

The action moves to Hagadera this week, with the final film on Abstinence set to take the center stage – the actors, who have since formed a group called SORYO (Somali Refugee Youth Organization) seem to be highly motivated – the locations have been chosen, the community leadership mobilized, and everything is good to go. The shooting will begin this Wednesday and end by Saturday….

More updates to follow….

Post by Victor Ombonya