C'est La Vie Television Programme

The C'est La Vie - That's Life series was produced to provide national programmes and civil society organisations in West Africa with a tool to enliven community communication around health issues. The story centres on a community health centre in the fictional location of Ratagna, where a young woman and her baby tragically die during childbirth. The death of the mother and child illustrates some of the problems with the health care system, and becomes a catalyst for collective awareness for residents and health centre staff.
According to RAES, the drama format was chosen because it permits the producers "to model ways of life, cultures and beliefs, explaining them while keeping the audiences captivated by building on dramatic tensions between individuals and their social environment."
The series was created by Invorian writer Marguerite Abouet and directed by Moussa Sene Absa (Senegal). Local celebrities, such as hip hop artists from Daara J are also participating in this Pan-african production. The programme is also building the technical skills of up-and-coming media-makers in the region.The C'est La Vie television drama is the central component of a cross media campaign that seeks to promote wide-ranging debate on maternal health, sexual violence, and family planning. Through its partnerships with local media and civil society organisations, dialogue on issues raised in the drama will be encouraged through phone-in talk shows on TV or radio, and viewers will be encouraged to express themselves through social media platforms, mobile phone, or internet games. Health professionals are working with the project team to develop these interactive tools and related content. This content supports conventional approaches based on community dialogue, advocacy, and social mobilisation. Discussions are further encouraged through community meetings supported by discussion guides, conferences, contests, training courses, and social media. Episodes of the series can be viewed on YouTube