Radio Scripts
Package 77
March 2006
The Long Dry Season: A Tale of Greed and Resourcefulness
Introduction and Acknowledgements
This package represents something new for the Network, and we are very excited with this step into the unknown!
We realize that some partners might feel a little overwhelmed when looking at this thick booklet, and wonder how they could possibly produce a 13-part radio drama with multiple characters, sub-plots and sound effects.
Don't worry! Part of the reason we created this booklet was to help you find ways to adapt the package to your capacities, access resources, and generally make the best use of the package.
First: how was this package born? As 2006 is the Year of Deserts and Desertification, the Network asked the African Radio Drama Association (ARDA), an exciting organization based in Nigeria and one of DCFRN's partners, to take 10 existing Network scripts on the theme of desertification and weave their content into a serial radio drama. Thus, package 77 is our effort to take advantage of the popular appeal of a good soap opera to convey some important messages about desertification.
This booklet contains the scripts for a thirteen-part serial radio drama, produced and written by ARDA in collaboration with the Network. In addition to a wonderful, edge-of-your-seat soap opera, with heroes and villains, multiple plots, fascinating characters, and lots of action and humour, there are important messages about the dangers of desertification and about positive steps farmers can take to prevent it.
I would like to sincerely thank several people for their hard work in making this radio drama package possible. Data Phido from ARDA who worked tirelessly to pull the radio drama together. The other writers from ARDA whose episodes we hope you will enjoy: phemy aribisala, Sam Kafewo, Euphemia Kange Chiekyula and Vera Fulu Adesanya. DCFRN is also indebted to the script reviewers who checked the scripts for accuracy regarding land conservation practices: Friederike Knabe, a consultant specializing in drylands issues in the context of sustainable development, and Camilla Toulmin, Director, International Institute for Environment and Development. Thanks also to Friederike for providing the beautiful images for the cover page. I would also like to thank my colleagues at DCFRN for their help - Anne Girard for the design and formatting of the package, and Diane Huffman and Blythe McKay for editing.
Vijay Cuddeford
Package 77 Editor in Chief
