They were getting ready for the big game. He sounded the warning, but they thought he was joking. And when it happened, they risked losing it all! As the waters rise, so do the treachery, conflicts and dangers. Ride the rapids of love and hatred, greed and honour. Follow the lives of a community torn apart by an event completely beyond their control!

Bravos do Zambeze (‘Zambezi Braves’) is a multi-faceted initiative that combines a high quality 26-episode radio drama with training for community radio journalists, in order to convey information around disaster risk reduction and build local capacity for reporting on disasters and climate change. The project was produced by CMFD for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), as part of the UN Delivering as One, Joint Programme on Disaster Risk Reduction Project.

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Bravos do ZambezeTheme Music (Isau Memeses)

Bravos do Zambeze trailer portuguese
Bravos do Zambeze trailer Sena

Bravos do Zambeze Season two

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Bravos do Zambeze Final report

-“ [The characters] do know how to get people’s attention and that’s very important when you want [to give] advice or alert someone, get their attention.”

- The old man Domingo, he reminded me of my dad who also suffered in a flood situation. He didn’t want to listen in the beginning.

- They would like [this drama] because that’s exactly what happens when floods occur.

…people who hear the story can learn something, and will know how to help those who are in danger.

The Drama Season two

The two-season drama is designed to communicate information around natural disasters and strategies to reduce the devastating consequences they can have on local communities. The story focuses on a village soccer team captain, Jose, and his girlfriend Suzanne. In season one, the village is hit by a terrible flood that finds the community completely unprepared. Jose and his team must try to get the villagers to safety. The season deals with the immediate aftermath of flooding, issues around displacement, what can happen if people are not prepared, and the importance of sticking together as a community.

Season two of Bravos deals mainly with the process of rebuilding, as well as the importance of adapting to the reality of increasingly frequent and severe weather patterns. The aim in this season is to communicate specific, useful information about longer-term disaster management and planning, including farming and building techniques that are more disaster-resistant, and preparing an evacuation plan for future emergencies.

The drama, which includes a lively, original theme song, was produced in Portuguese and Sena, the local language most prevalent in the target area – the Zambezi floodplain. However, the drama is being distributed to radio stations across the country, focusing on areas prone to flooding. The theme song for the drama was co-written by local Mozambican parliamentarian and musician Isaú Meneses, and uses a combination of carefully written lyrics and catchy beats to take the messages further.

Research

In preparation for the project, CMFD conducted a series of case studies among residents of Ndambuenda, a resettlement neighbourhood in Zambezia Province, who were forced to leave their home villages because of flooding. Respondents were asked to recount what happened to them during the flood, how they were affected, what they were able to salvage, how they feel now, and what, if anything, they would do differently next time. Most respondents reported losing everything to the flood. Many noted that there was a lack of solidarity or coordination between villagers, and that people were often out for themselves. Some also reported not taking the flood seriously at first and waiting too long to leave their homes. These case studies helped inform and shape the key themes in the drama.

Training

In between production of season one and season two, CMFD organised and conducted a five-day workshop with six community radio stations within the Zambezi River region. The workshop included a number of presentations from organisations working on disaster risk reduction in the area, as well as practical training on creating radio features. Journalists were able to interview presenters, make important contacts for future reporting. They were also given copies of Bravos do Zambeze – along with a guide booklet to help them develop call-in shows, talk shows and reports around the drama – to play on their stations.

Response

Feedback from a focus group discussion conducted on the drama, as well as evaluations from actors provides a positive indication that this drama will help people affected by floods cope with their situation and bring about change. One focus group participant said that “people who hear the drama will learn something, and will know how to help those who are in danger.” Another said that “I [learned that] every time there is an emergency situation, we shouldn’t wait around until it gets worse.” Moreover, both focus group participants and actors felt they could identify with the characters, even relating several of the characters to people they knew who had gone through similar situations.