The UNICEF's ‘Television for Social Change' initiative took a step ahead on Saturday with the launch of their Telugu TV serial, ‘Idey Mana Jeevita Lakshyam'.
Created by the UNICEF and produced by Miditech, the serial is set in an Indian village where it traces the lives of six protagonists, including an Anganwadi worker, an oppressed woman sarpanch and a dedicated teacher. It has been dubbed from the Hindi version, ‘Kyonki Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai', which was aired in six States. Although styled as a soap opera, the script has a strong social message focusing on health-related issues such as safe motherhood, breastfeeding, nutrition, immunisation and malaria among others. It is based on the book, ‘Facts of Life' published by the UNICEF, WHO and UNESCO. Beginning May 3, it will be telecast in the State on Doordarshan Saptagiri at 8 p.m. on weekdays.
“This serial is dedicated to all the grassroots functionaries whose hands we want to strengthen,” Michel Saint-Lot, Chief of Hyderabad Field Office, UNICEF told media persons. “There are so many people working in the field but there is still a huge gap in the delivery mechanism.”
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He said the serial is an attempt to bridge this gap so that more people realise that they have a right to government services.
“Decades have passed, but we have made little progress in crucial sectors like healthcare,” Chaya Ratan, Principal Secretary, Women and Child Development Department said. “I fully support this initiative by the UNICEF because we need the power of media to reach out to people who have been excluded.”