Si Mchezo! Magazine

Si Mchezo! (“No Joke” in Swahili) magazine, part of the Femina Hip project, which targets rural, out-of-school youth, aged 15-25, and their communities with messages about HIV/AIDS, healthy lifestyles, sexuality, skills, entrepreneurship, and livelihoods.

The magazine appears in Swahili and messages are tailored for a semi-literate audience. Si Mchezo! is distributed free of charge to more than 250 partner organisations in Tanzania, including large-scale workplaces, civil society organisations, and local government. 150,000 copies (in 2008) of every issue are distributed and further expansion is planned. According to the organisation, the success of Si Mchezo! magazine is largely due to its community-based editorial collection process. For every issue, editors travel to rural communities with a digital camera and document the real-life stories and views of ordinary people.

Wazazi Nipendeni (Love me, parents) is a national, multi-channel social and behavior change communication campaign in Tanzania that aims to empower pregnant women and their partners to take the steps necessary for a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery. Wazazi Nipendeni articles and back-cover advertisements appeared in the Jan-Feb 2013 edition of Femina Hip’s Si Mchezo! magazine, a print publication targeting out of school youth.

Source: Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs

Date of Publication: March 25, 2019