11 May 2011
A story from Shujaaz, the award winning UK aid funded project
Abraham Juma is 19 years old and lives in Eldoret, Kenya. He spends much of his time looking after his sick father and his family struggle to find enough money for Abraham to study.
However, thanks to an award winning multimedia project part-funded by UK aid, Abraham has been able 
to draw up a business plan which means that he can sell vegetables from his small garden for profit. He currently grows maize, sukuma wiki, managu (a traditional vegetable), potatoes and tomatoes.
The extra money that he earns from the vegetables helps to pay for his school fees and he's keen to expand his business and save enough money to buy a bigger plot of land. Abraham is much more optimistic about his future now and has ambitious plans to become "a well known businessman all over Kenya and even abroad".
"I would love to be able to travel all over the country," he says. "I would also like to be able to improve the lives of the people around me."
The power of comic book characters
Abraham found out how to start his own business through a comic called Shujaaz. The comic covers a broad range of issues which are designed to help young people in Kenya improve their lives. Facts are merged with fiction so that Shujaaz can cover hard hitting material like tribalism, the aftermath of the post-election violence and human rights.
The comic's designers have worked hard to create believable characters who readers want to follow - Boyie or 'DJ B' is young and out of work, Maria Kim is 17 and lives in an urban slum, Malkia is 11 years old and in primary school and Charlie Pele is young boy who loves football and lives in a rural Kenya.
UK aid funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) ensures that each issue includes a story which focuses on agricultural innovations. As a result Shujaaz has covered stories about selecting good seeds to grow stronger crops, the importance of vaccinating chickens against Newcastle disease and information about how to protect chicks from hawks by dyeing them pink.
These simple messages help families in Kenya grow food for themselves and save their crops and animals from disease. And the stories also encourage young people like Abraham to set up small businesses and feel a sense of control over their own lives.
Passing on the message
The free comic is distributed with The Nation, Kenya's largest daily newspaper and at M-Pesa (mobile banking) kiosks. Each person who receives a copy is thought to share it with around five friends or family members and Shujaaz now has a readership of about six million.
But the stories that Shujaaz tells are not just limited to comic strips. The main characters and their messages also appear in daily radio programmes, on Facebook and in text messages. This innovative use of multimedia helps to reach the widest possible audience. And the use of comics and radio helps to ensure that people who can't read can still benefit from the guidance.
Award winning impact
Last night the success of the project was recognised when Shujaaz was 
announced as the winner of the One World Media Special Award. The award is presented for an outstanding project working on the ground in the developing world, where media activity has made a real impact on people's lives.
Minister of State for International Development, Alan Duncan, who attended the awards said:
"Shujaaz is an incredibly effective way of communicating information to young Kenyans and their families, including poor farmers often in remote areas. It has provided vital guidance on farming techniques that can directly improve people's lives, with stories ranging from ways of preventing livestock disease through to how to improve crop yield. I'm delighted that it has won."
Tips to tackle prejudice
As well as finding out how to start his own small farming business, Abraham has also learnt how to deal with tribal prejudice from the characters in the Shujaaz comic.
"During the post-election violence, I went to a shop wearing my school uniform," he says. "The shop keeper refused to serve me because I was from Mount Elgon. I felt very bad because I was treated as if I was not a human being."
But he feels that Shujaaz has given him useful tips for solving conflicts and handling difficult situations.
"I would encourage people who are mistreated not to give up and tell those who mistreat others to stop," he says. "Shujaaz is improving the lives of people by giving them ways to solve their problems."
Facts and stats
- DFID fully funds Research Into Use which in turn funds 25% of Shujaaz
- Through Shujaaz DFID is reaching young Kenyans at a cost of less then 1p per head every month
- ShujaazFM airs daily on 17 radio stations daily and more stations sign up every week. One station alone (Qfm) has three million regular listeners countrywide
- Every month Shujaaz comic runs four stories through its four comic characters. Each of these stories is usually funded through separate donors or funders.
The One World Media awards will be broadcast on the BBC World News channel on Saturday 14 May. Shujaaz is also being featured in an upcoming BBC World News television series, Horizons, which has a remit of finding companies that "will influence the way mankind will live and work in the future".