Makutano Junction Project:
The Makutano Junction Project is a gripping Kenyan-produced soap opera set in a fictional Kenyan village and viewed by more than 7 million Kenyans every week. This page is dedicated to Mukatano Junction and Craven DECs involvement in the project.
The official Makutano Junction Facebook page can be found here.
This is an exciting project funded by the European Commission and coordinated in North Yorkshire by Craven DEC. Makutano Junction is a gripping Kenyan-produced soap opera set in a fictional Kenyan village and viewed by more than 7 million Kenyans every week. Teachers in Craven, Hampshire, Cumbria and the south-west of England, Poland, Latvia and Bulgaria have developed innovative teaching materials for KS2 pupils around the themes of poverty, health and sustainability which was piloted in schools during the Summer Term 2014.
Makutano Junction an engaging, innovative and effective global learning tool
The award winning Kenyan TV educational drama series Makutano Junction was conceived as a means of disseminating valuable information through an entertaining and engaging medium and aims to entertain and educate English-speaking African audiences. In Kenya, Makutano Junction viewers regularly identify issues of interest to them, e.g. rights and responsibilities of good citizens, which are then incorporated into storylines by Kenyan script writers.
Sixteen series have been produced so far [each series has thirteen half hour episodes]. The programme proved to be a catalyst for global learning when used with secondary school pupils in the UK between 2008 and 2010. [The project evaluation produced for the funders, the Department for International Development, found that 92% of pupils said that they had enjoyed the lessons using MJ and been fully engaged with the material, finding it fun and inspiring.]
To hear Caris Kingham, a Year 5/6 teachers at Lothersdale School talking about her experiences of using Makutano Junction in the classroom, click here.
To find out more about using Makutano Junction resources, please click here
Makutano Junction is a hit with teachers and pupils! Here are some quotes from teachers and pupils in secondary schools that Craven DEC worked with:
"The kids love it. We love it. It’s a great resource." Geography teacher, South Craven
"There has been a transformation in the students in just two weeks of using MJ. They have moved from ‘we want to remain ignorant’ to ‘we need to know more’." RS teacher, Bradford Grammar
"It’s more realistic seeing a Kenyan soap opera, rather than English people going over there and talking about Kenya." Yr 7 student, Upper Wharfedale
"MJ makes things real in another part of the world. Even though it’s set in Kenya we can relate to it." Yr 8 student, Upper Wharfedale
"There are similar attitudes, relationships and experiences to those you find in Britain." Yr 10 student, Bradford Grammar
"I’ve learnt that Kenya is a developed community and that some areas of Africa are not poverty stricken." Yr 8 student, South Craven
Craven DEC
Projects
- Green Futures
- Celebrate Craven
- Fairtrade
- Makutano Junction
Craven DEC
St Andrew’s Church, Skipton
North Yorkshire, BD23 2JE
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Registered charity number 1091643
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