You’re in the throes of passion with the love of your life, and at the critical moment, he/she says she doesn’t have a condom but he/she’s free of sexually transmitted infections and recently tested.

He/she also assures you that he/she has a piece of paper that says he/she’s HIV negative at home.  “I’ll show it to you later,” he/she says.

What would you do?

1. Have sex without a condom
2. Stop the whole thing altogether until you do have a condom
3. Improvise in some way?

Is there still polygamy today, or it has it evolved into something else? These are some questions I’m asking after attending a discussion in town yesterday.

Polygamy, one person said at the discussion, was very dignified in the times of our long gone ancestors. It was meant to build unity and strengthen family ties. Men did not do it out of malice, or for want of more sex.The women of old had a choice of who would become Mrs Number Two.

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The Campaign launched in Tanzania in October 2008 and rolled out across the region throughout the next year.
Support in-country from National AIDS Councils and other partners, a well as regionally from Africa Broadcast Media Partnership (ABMP), Trucking Wellness, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and The Champions - has been unprecedented.

It is the largest cross-border communication campaign in this region. OneLove has challenged people to think differently about their sexual lives. It has got people talking and thinking about culture and the norms and values that perpetuate risky sexual behaviour.

This newsletter gives an update on the campaign, as well as plans for 2010.Together we are making a difference.

Harriet Perlman
Soul City Regional Programme

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The Making Of The OneLove Campaign

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The OneLove campaign is unique because it combines both in-country campaigns with a regional component as well.

OneLove is the largest cross-border communication campaign to tackle the issue of MCP.

Highlights

• „„More than 8 628 800 copies of OneLove print materials published in 12 languages.
• „„7 radio drama series developed in 10 languages, broadcast to reach about 20 million people across southern Africa.

Campaign Message

Having multiple concurrent partners puts you and your loved ones at risk of getting infected with HIV.

A safe relationship means:

• No secrets and lies.
• „Communicating effectively.
• „„Challenging cultural practices that support MCP.
• „„Respect and equal rights for and between men and women.
• „„Societies must support and encourage safe relationships.

Lesotho

The OneLove campaign in Lesotho was launched in December 2008.

Hope Dolo, director of Phela, the NGO partner leading the campaign in Lesotho,says “the Lesotho National AIDS Council has endorsed the OneLove campaign and community dialogues have begun all around the country.”

Lesotho’s multimedia rollout comprised a booklet highlighting issues around gender, women and HIV & AIDS and a pamphlet detailing the risks associated with MCPs. More than 406 000 copies of a relationship booklet (Relationships Made Easy) were published in November.

Tanzania

The OneLove campaign in Tanzania was launched by Femina HIP on the 9 October 2009 in Dar es Salaam.

The Tanzania campaign focuses on the youth as its target audience. This is done through the Fema TV Talk Show, a 30-minute weekly talk show for and by young people in Tanzania.

The show is presented in Swahili. It is broadcast nationally on ITV and TBC1. Femina HIP has also developed a short vignette, where two main characters dramatise relationship issues.

NamibiaThe OneLove campaign in Namibia was launched in 2009 with a radio drama.

Desert Soul has published 350 000 copies of a book Life And Love with One Partner. A new radio drama is also planned for later in the year.

Desert Soul and its partners have also facilitated two workshops on MCP with traditional leaders.

Swaziland

Swaziland launched their OneLove campaign in February 2009 with a mass media campaign.

The national campaign is led by NERCHA with Lusweti, and is characterised by strong partnerships between the urban and traditional sectors through Khulisa Umntfwana and the religious sector through the Church Forum.

Multimedia materials for the campaign include 225 600 copies of a booklet, Love, Sex and You, TV and radio adverts, where various community leaders champion OneLove, a radio drama series and a series of articles in mainstream media.

Mozambique

November 6th marked the launch of the campaign about Multiple Concurrent Par tnerships (MCP) in Mozambique. It is commonly
accepted throughout Mozambique that a “normal” man needs to have several sexual partners to prove his manhood.

“Amores a mais é demais! Yuuh! Não vale a pena!” is the name adopted for the MCP campaign in Mozambique.

The campaign, (done in association with OneLove) kicked off with the broadcasting of the TV spot Conheces o Ze, the Mozambican adaptation of Meet Joe.

For the next three months N’weti will rollout a series of communication materials addressing MCP. This will include the distribution of
more than 1 million booklets focusing on communication amongst couples.

A radio drama telling the story of young Ibrahimo and Rute is also being aired.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s campaign launch took place on the 3rd June 2009. An active partnership with UNFPA saw over 4 million materials,
including booklets and pamphlets, being branded OneLove.

The campaign is supported by the NAC and spearheaded by Action.

Malawi

Malawi rolled out its OneLove campaign in October 2009. The campaign is being implemented in partnership with the NAC, key government ministries and departments, the UN Community, NGO and business sectors, the media, as well as faith-based organisations.

Campaign materials include TV and radio talk shows, a radio drama series, 970 000 copies of a relationship book (Sexual Partners and Our Lives), public service announcements, music, newspaper articles and adverts. The campaign also includes social mobilisation campaigns among the youth.

Zambia

OneLove Kwasila led the campaign with a locally produced, innovative 10-part TV miniseries named Club Risky Business which  highlights the risks of MCP.

OneLove Kwasila also developed a 10-week live TV talk show and 600 buses branded with OneLove messages. OneLove Kwasila has also
published 730 000 copies of a relationship booklet (You and Your Relationship.)

Over 5000 posters carrying key MCP messages and 5000 bumper stickers were also distributed. OneLove Kwasila has also provided training on MCP  issues to top local musicians, religious leaders and the cabinet committee on HIV.

The campaign is led by the NAC, and other partners, including the ZCCP.

South Africa

The OneLove campaign in South Africa was launched at the end of January 2009 with the popular 13 part television drama, Soul City.

Campaign partners nationally were provided with toolkits posters, T-shirts, booklets and bangles) which enabled them
to hold OneLove dialogues.

There was a radio drama and talk shows in 9 different languages as well as a number of PSAs.

At the end of 2009 a guide to good sex in a safe relationship was published called SoulSEX.

The OneLove steering committee consists of representatives from 9 countries. It meets regularly to plan campaign activities.

The strength of the OneLove campaign is the power of a recognizable and collective approach; collaborative alliances and rigorous research and consultation which began in 2005.

The OneLove steering committee consists of representatives from 9 countries.

It meets regularly to plan campaign activities.

Campaign countdown

August 2005 - African Health Ministers adopted the Maputo declaration, calling upon countries to work together to intensify HIV prevention.

May 2006 - A Southern African Development community (SADC) Think Tank Meeting in Maseru identified MCP as a core driver of HIV & AIDS in the region and called on member states to tackle the issue of MCP together.

October 2006 - A SADC/ UNAIDS/Soul City  consultation meeting in Swaziland recommended that MCP reduction be a key focus of social change communication  interventions in Southern Africa over the next 5 years.

May 2007 - Soul City and regional partners meet to design a formative research process across 10 countries.

May - October 2007 - Qualitative research was conducted across 10 countries, with 179 focus groups, 116 in-depth interviews and literature reviews.

Research revealed common themes across all countries driving MCP.

November 2007- Research feedback and consultation workshop held. Research revealed common themes across all countries driving
MCP. Based on these findings the workshop recommended a regional campaign to run concurrently with local interventions to reduce MCP in SADC and a common set of messages to strengthen impact (including a possible common name).

December 2007 - A campaign and message design workshop was held.

The regional campaign uses the power of mass media (television, radio and print) and social mobilisation and advocacy, to drive social change in each country and across the region.

February 2008 - MCP Steering committee set up with representatives from 9 partner countries to oversee and run the campaign.  Proposed campaign names suggested and three names and logos chosen to pre-test.

March - October 2008- Findings revealed that the name OneLove (talk, protect, respect) resonated with campaign message and audiences across the countries. Need to translate and adapt the tagline for local languages and idiom was identified.

October 2008 - Campaign roll out begins.

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Editorial

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