Fourteen boys and girls aged 10-12, chosen from various countries in the Middle East and North Africa, were sent to live on a game reserve in South Africa far from friends, family and the comforts of home to compete in the ultimate adventure challenge for children - Eish Safari, the pioneering reality TV show for kids that will premiere on 8 April 2006 on MBC3.
The young adventurers from Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Algeria, Iraq and Qatar packed their bags and set for Tala Reserve, South Africa where they compete in a five-week long competition designed to test their mental and physical skills.
The participants were divided into two teams, named after African animals – Edube and Emkumbe or Rhino and Zebra in Zulu language, respectively. Each team competes in a series of challenges each week which test their mental and physical abilities. Each week's winning team is rewarded by a “treat” such as a phone call from home or a hot juicy burger while the losers receive their “punishment”, a light-hearted chore to do around the camp like cleaning the stables.
Some of the challenges the kids face include building huts, searching for food and repelling down a cliff. All challenges require ingenuity, team effort, discipline and hard work on the part of the participants.
The Tala Reserve in South Africa was the venue for the adventure challenge. The natural reserve provided the ideal setting with its savannahs, many ponds and bounty of animals such as zebras, gazelles, hippos and giraffes.
“This is a fun action-packed adventure reality program tailor made for kids of the region,” said Mohammed Al-Mulhelm, MBC Group Director of Marketing, PR and Commercial.
Viewers can catch all the action on MBC3 Saturday to Wednesday at 1900KSA.
MBC 3, the premiere kids channel in the region, was launched by MBC Group in December of 2004. It broadcasts 24 hours a day free-to-air on both Arabsat and Nilesat. With over 40% of Arab children under the age of 15, MBC 3 was the perfect compliment to the MBC family.
