RAP 21: How did you come up with the idea of creating a comic strip to accompany the radio soap opera?

Kimani Njogu: I have always been keen on utilising popular culture for social good and creating spin-offs. The radio soap is an interesting way of reaching large numbers of people. But I also know that there are many people who buy newspapers and who read comics before anything else. My father-in-law always read comics in "Taifa Leo". So I had discussions with colleagues about the possibilities of doing a comic strip as a spin-off of the radio soap opera. The editors at "Taifa Leo" were very supportive of this venture.

RAP 21: What has been the strategy of the soap opera and comic strip to approach the subject matter of HIV/AIDS?

Kimani Njogu: In both the soap and the comic strip we affirm life and take the position that individuals and communities can make a difference in people’s lives. We argue for self and collective efficacy...that we can determine our own destiny. Through characterisation, we approach issues of prevention, de-stigmatisation, and coming out with love and care.

"Ushikwapo Shikamana" dramatises life in three typical Kenyan settings: an urban centre, a city’s outskirts, and a rural area where opportunities for education and gainful employment are few. HIV/AIDS prevention, compassion for people living with AIDS, and the plight of AIDS orphans are important ongoing themes of the programme. The comic strip appears three times a week and in colour in "Taifa Leo", which is Kenya’s largest Kiswahili national newspaper.

RAP 21: What has been the response of the general public to the comic strip? Has it proved an effective means of approaching a difficult subject?

Kimani Njogu: Oh, our audience loves it! We have been in press three times a week for the last four years! We have received letters and comments from all manner of people. We receive feedback from prisons, schools and individual readers. I think it is a very effective tool for reaching large numbers of people and dealing with sensitive issues and affecting people’s emotions.

RAP 21: What are the day-to-day logistics of running the cartoon?

Kimani Njogu: I work closely with the editor of "Taifa Leo", and with a cartoonist, researcher, and a media intern to produce the comics. The staff has weekly meetings to determine the direction of the comic strip for that week. The team reviews the radio script and identifies ideas worth presenting graphically. The dialogue is then prepared. The cartoonist works on the sketches which we review and give comments on. The comic strip is then fine tuned and presented to "Taifa Leo" as a finished piece. On a monthly basis, our researcher reviews the values that are reflected in the strip and analyses the letters sent in by the audience to advise the team.

RAP 21: What have been the biggest challenge in running the comic strip?

Kimani Njogu: The fact that we are all very busy and we have to meet the deadlines.

RAP 21: You started out with a radio soap opera, then expanded to a comic strip. Do you have any plans for further expansion?

Kimani Njogu: I would love to do animation. Also I am exploring using English and other Kenyan languages in developing the strips.

The weekly comics began being compiled into a series of comic books in 2001. The comic book is distributed through bookstores, adult literacy programs, and youth, women’s and church groups throughout Kenya.

RAP 21: How could an idea like this be adopted in other countries facing similar issues as Kenya’s population?

Kimani Njogu: I think it has tremendous potential. However it would involve talking with policy makers who still are unconvinced about the power of popular culture.