Umwe Africa Covid series set for DStv

A new educational series about coronavirus titled Pandemic: Covid-19 in Africa is set to debut on DStv this month.

The four-part documentary is produced by social enterprise Umwe Africa in a bid to spread awareness on the social effects brought by the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The docuseries examines the virus, the effects of its arrival in Africa and efforts to tackle it.

The first 30-minute episode will look at the impact the global pandemic has had on different parts of the continent in a way intended to appeal to young people.

The series will cover topics such as police brutality, lockdown measures, healthcare systems and the impact on education.

The co-founder of Umwe Africa, Bryan Nakambonde, said the project had involved working with more than 20 students in 17 African countries since early May to capture the unique experiences in each place.

Nakambonde said: “We are working to produce an educational experience for 75% of Africa’s population – the youth. Umwe is dedicated to engaging African youth with matters that are shaping the future and changing the narrative that news is only for older people. Our aim is to unpack African headlines using language and content that appeal to the youth on social media.

“I spoke to people from all walks of life and there seems to be a strong desire to change the continent for the better. There’s a huge perception that no one in power has a genuine interest in helping the continent and this series is going to expose these people. Instead of only focusing on the negatives like case numbers going up, countries who are doing good will also be highlighted.”

Pandemic: Covid-19 in Africa will debut on August 28 at 15.30 CAT on DStv channel 319.

Umwe Africa is a social enterprise founded in 2018 by Nakambonde and his partner Jörg Walter, with their focus being on producing African news for young people solely on social media. Their team is made up of contributors from multiple African countries.

tagged in: Bryan Nakambonde, DSTV, Pandemic: Covid-19 in Africa, Umwe Africa