MFDI 1995 Annual Report|
1995 Annual Report Swahili Video Library Project -- We worked with MAP International in Kenya and finished up the evaluation of our 1994 distribution of 800 videos and 51 films of eight titles that we had in Swahili language versions. The report was distributed to the six donors that supported the project and many others. Basically the videos were well received by most of the 61 agencies that we shipped them to. The problems of giving free videos were reviewed, and the benefits of at least a small charge towards actually getting the videos to the right people in the right sections of the recipient agency were highlighted. Documentary on Mpeti Ole Surum - Maasai Wandering Warrior -- 1995 saw the video get shot in Kenya and Boston, and almost finished. Steve Smith went to rural Kenya in January for some of the shooting. The video is now being edited and will be finalized in coming months. African Peace Film -- We got a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for Democracy, which unfortunately had no overhead or personnel money, but allowed us to carry out a month-long research trip in June, 1995 and make serious progress towards a final script for the proposed film. Unfortunately Pilani Dube, our script writer got ill and died before he could finalize the script. We did send a draft out to about 25 Design Team members and others, and got some useful feedback. John Riber will complete the script by the end of 1996. A treatment is about done now. We believe the script will be excellent. We sent out about 50 proposals to every donor agency and connection possible in late 1995, but essentially all have declined to provide support. We still try to seek funding, but don't expect that MFDI in the USA will ever be able to raise the production money we need. Our hope is that MFD in Zimbabwe will be able to raise funds once the script is completed. Consequences in Zulu -- We completed this project over 1995 and in early 1996. Dave Clark and the Baptist International Mission Services in South Africa did the dub and we engaged the Film Resource Unit in Johannesburg to distribute 100 free VHS videos as a part of the Family Planning Association of South Africa's campaign on teenage pregnancy. It has been well received. Access to Credit Media Project -- Our work with Rob Rooy on this video on the role of credit continues to do well. Over the 1994-7 period we anticipate over $600,000 to pass through MFDI from a variety of donors on this project. Friends of Kenya Project -- the ex-Peace Corps group gave MFDI $800 this year to provide 16 AIDS-related videos to MAP International's lending library in Nairobi. That went well and we just reported back to the donor on the first 100 lendings. Steve Smith spoke at the Friends of Kenya annual meeting in Washington, DC in March. He showed several video clips and was well received. Also this year we set up a Ledama Scholarship Fund to support Ledama Ole Kine, a Maasai who is in the USA to get a college education in television production. So far we've provided him a bit over $400 from funds donated by DSR. We hope that he will be able to get other donors to contribute to this fund in the future. MFD/Zimbabwe projects - John Riber/MFD has brought in and will bring in projects of a couple small video projects in 1996. They were/will be co-sponsored by GTZ, PLAN International and Johns Hopkins University. MFDI continues to provide very limited financial support to Media for Development Trust in Harare. In 1996, we will provide a couple thousand dollars to MFD for various purposes, including helping them get Internet Worldwide Web access. This will be done with funds from DSR. Financially, MFDI did fine in 1995. We received $332,615.99 in income and had essentially the same amount of costs. We ended up at a financial break even. |
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