Friends 4 Life

Friends 4 Life provides an opportunity to people to tune in to the radio and listen in the privacy of their own home, so that they are able to ask for advice without revealing their identity. In this way, organisers hope to influence people's behaviours by providing them with relevant health information that will help them make the right choices.

The programme has been broadcast on the Link FM Community Radio Station since 2003. Strategies for drawing people's attention to the programme include timing (around the time of the show there is a popular TV soap, and also wrestling) and contests (participants are entered in a lucky draw every week to win vouchers in the value of R300.00).

DCSA has trained more than 200 HIV/AIDS peer educators (PE) who are the pillars of the programme. Aided by psychological expertise of the company's medical staff, hosts have brought in individuals with real life experience of HIV/AIDS to be discussed on the programme. This includes patients themselves, doctors, and people who have cared or are caring for an affected person. Health professionals, as well as those in other fields, and community members book slots to share their knowledge with the larger community.

HIV/AIDS.

DaimlerChrysler is a private corporation that makes and sells automobiles worldwide. DaimlerChrysler believes that HIV/AIDS is the biggest health problem in South Africa. Click here to read about DaimlerChrysler South Africa's HIV/AIDS workplace programme.

Reflecting on the choice of their medium in this project, they note that "an assumption made on radio is that as a presenter you are addressing only one person." They say this strategy has helped create some loyal listeners. In addition, discussing a different subject each week keeps them interested in the programme.

Organisers say the lessons learned to date include:

• HIV/AIDS awareness should be regarded with great seriousness, just as an advertiser whose life is dependent on having products bought would consider product awareness.
• Communities should be regarded as customers with different priorities; a radio programme should be matched to address the needs of these 'customers'.
• Friends 4 Life caters to the person as a whole - physical, psychological, and spiritual health - through dialogue with experts in different fields.

In 2005, DaimlerChrysler will subject the partnership with Link FM to external evaluation to obtain both quantitative and qualitative measures of impact.