Zinduka! (Wake up!)

The radio soap opera was developed as part of a larger project called "Laying the Foundation: Family Planning IEC", which was a collaboration between the Health Education Division of the Ministry of Health of Tanzania and The Johns Hopkins University/Population Communication Services (JHU/PCS). Zinduka addresses men and women who do not usually attend health facilities.

There were 52 15-minute episodes of Zinduka ("Wake Up!") in the series. In addition, ten radio spots were developed based on audience research, a materials development workshop, and a treatment design workshop. That process revealed the primary issues to be addressed through the series and spots should be: variety of methods; empowerment; safety; reversibility; reliability; good image of modern family planning users; good image of service providers; and dialogue between couples.

Zinduka follows the lives of men and women in Msongano Town and Tawanya Village in Tanzania. The plots weave in and out of the lives of Bomu wa Kabuma, his family and friends. Throughout the series, we follow the deterioration of Bomu's family, as Bomu fails to provide for his over-large family of eight children, parents, wife, mistress and child. The difficulties of providing for and managing a large family are portrayed. The health of some female characters is weakened by closely spaced pregnancies and too many births, and infants suffer from lack of breastmilk and poor nutrition. Characters who forbid family planning, characters who do not understand contraceptives, and characters who eventually realise the value and importance of family planning and positive attitudes toward women are all depicted. The series also shows women empowering themselves through education, financially successful cooperatives, and by avoiding unplanned pregnancies via modern contraception.

Family Planning