Shamba Shape Up

Shamba Shape Up is a practical, make-over style TV series aimed at East Africa’s rapidly growing rural and peri-urban TV audience and designed to deliver effective agricultural and livelihoods Research-Into-Use to benefit both farmers and international research organizations concerned with East Africa.

Shamba Shape Up builds on the success of Mediae’s four part documentary Schools Shape Up, and on the popularity of a pilot episode of Shamba Shape Up produced in 2007 and tested widely with audiences in Kenya and in Tanzania.

The series will feature the Shamba Shape Up presenters and guest experts addressing the needs of 13 small, diverse farms (“Shambas”) around Kenya and Tanzania, investigating specific local challenges and problems, and using latest and appropriate ideas and technologies to transform the shambas and the livelihoods of their owners.

Through carefully explained, practical demonstrations, the series shows how different practical and accessible methods and approaches can bring about significant livelihood improvements on small farms, often at very low – or even no –cost.

Mediae is working with leading local and international research and agricultural support organizations including DfID, Natural Resources International, Research-Into-Use and others to access tried and tested technologies, processes and best practices for use in African farming.

Working with audiences and thorough research, Mediae has been able to focus on the most important, practical information for East African farmers – creating Shamba Shape to deliver it to the widest possible audiences in practical, accessible forms.

Some of the subjects to be covered in the series include: integrated pest management (how Napier grass can be intercropped to deter the Maize stalk borer); silage-making (how dairy farmers can improve yields during dry season with simple fodder); rain water harvesting (affordable methods for catching and storing rain water); how to make and use low-energy stoves (reducing fuel demands); human and animal health issues, access and use of micro-finance, etc.

When the series broadcasts it will be accompanied by an interactive mobile phone SMS/Text service to enable viewers to request additional detailed information on featured technologies by mail and leaflet and internet – just as was done on School Shape Up.

The Shamba Shape Up pilot episode was supported by Natural Resources International through the Research Into Use programme. Additional partner research organizations for the pilot episode include Kenya Agricultural Research Institute; Farm International; Land o’ Lakes; DfID and others. Other partners are being sought to participate in the full series.