The "monster" is big, grey, and boxy with huge, sharp, white teeth, and is intent on swallowing its victims whole. Parents may have heard this description before when their children talk about that "monster" in the closet or under the bed. This time, however, the monster does not only reside in the imaginations of children. The monster is very real and, while it is not huge and ominous-looking in real life, its effects are. The monster is in fact a miniscule virus that killed millions across Sub-Saharan Africa and other areas of the world.

HIV/AIDS is this monster depicted as larger than life of the television screens in the Southern African nation of Malawi. Just like Sesame Street, a popular educational television show for children in the U.S.A:, taught children difficult concepts through puppets and songs, so does the television program Pro-Active Kids. The program, which is sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Malawi, focuses on teaching kids about HIV/AIDS.

When is the right age to start teaching children about the serious and complex topic of HIV/AIDS? As soon as possible if one takes a cue from the Pro-Active Kids who seem to range from ages five to 12. In Malawi alone there are an estimated 100,000 children living with HIV/AIDS, according to UNAIDS -- the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS.

Before budgetary constraints shut down the taping of new shows, 13 episodes were produced, according to Dr. Saustin Mfune, president of the Adventist Church in Malawi who came up with the idea for the show. The show was done for Television Malawi and was aired every Thursday evening from October 2004 to February 2005.

"All the series were on various aspects of HIV," said Mfune. "I [wrote] all the scripts and all the music." Mfune came up with the program idea while he was director of Youth and Children's Ministries for the church's Southern-Africa Indian Ocean regional office.

Though the program is no longer on national television, the Pro-Active Kids take the show on the road to a variety of schools and churches. In addition to talking about HIV/AIDS in their live performances the kids also talk about other topics such as keeping the environment clean, the importance of breakfast and self-esteem.

Over the years Mfune has also brought different groups of children from Pro-Active Kids clubs in Kenya and Malawi to various Adventist world church events.

"I did develop Pro-Active Kids clubs ... to build in children Christian self-esteem and teach moral education. It has and it still works very well," says Mfune. [Editor: Taashi Rowe for ANN/APD]