Beans, a family affair: A five-part radio drama

| December 2, 2018

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This week’s Farmer story from Tanzania raises some of the challenges women farmers face, including a lack of control over land and money, and a lack of access to good agricultural information.

Our Script of the Week is a five-part radio drama about women bean farmers in Tanzania that addresses the challenges they face in the field and at home.

Beans, a family affair explores the relationships of members of a women’s village loan and savings group in Tanzania, where the women are growing common beans, in addition to other crops and livestock. From dealing with the middleman Sigi, who is eager to take advantage of any woman he encounters, to struggling with their own husbands to ensure their opinions are heard, these women face a variety of challenges in their day-to-day lives. But the women soon realize how strong they are when they stick together, supporting each other both in their home lives and in growing and marketing beans.

As Mama Rash highlights in our Spotlight story, drama can be a useful format to address sensitive issues, like gender discrimination and even domestic violence.

This five-part drama was published in English, French, and Swahili. You may want to modify the script to make it more relevant to your region. You can download all five episodes here: http://scripts.farmradio.fm/radio-resource-packs/beans-a-family-affair/