Young people speak to the soul to prevent HIV and take control of their lives

Maseru, Lesotho 15 April 2010– In Berea, one of the highest HIV prevalence districts in Lesotho, Thabo* a young 16 year old boy is on stage, enacting the story of an HIV positive father unable to disclose his status to his children and expressing his distress through abusive actions.

“It touches me deep inside, when I tell my story and I realize I inspire and touch many more in the audience” says Thabo.

The play is part of a UNICEF supported project, named ‘Young people in Theatre Against HIV and AIDS’ implemented by the NGO Coalition on the Rights of a Child (NGOC). It employs interactive theatre where young people write their own scripts on issues that concern them, such as HIV prevention. The aim is to engage young people and communities to acquire new knowledge and skills by connecting with each other through a common thread - real life experiences.

By using live performances to share their story, actors and audiences alike feel safe to communicate their feelings without fear or judgement, breaking the silence and shame around issues such as gender, HIV and AIDS, violence and abuse.

As Lineo* plays back her story, Puleng*, a grandmother in the audience, responds “It reminds me of my daughter in law who died of AIDS. She had different ministers [sugar daddies] for transport, entertainment, finance and more. She didn’t live a year from the time she found out her HIV status. I was angry with her because she took both my son and my granddaughter’s lives with her. I realize now that she was very young and I should have done more to support her, to listen and talk to her without judging her”.

The process aims to inspire behaviour change and enhance inter-generational dialogue for people to take responsibility on the quality of their lives in the context of HIV and AIDS. “There is a general fatigue to HIV ‘lessons’, speaking from the heart reaches people’s core making them identify and feel it’s real to them. It’s therapeutic, educational and entertaining” says Nafisa Binte-Shafique UNICEF Adoelscent HIV prevention specialist in Lesotho.

The young members who put their lives on stage have all in some way been affected by violence, discrimination and HIV. Their heart-warming stories unveil common challenges and promote empathy, understanding and learning. “Sharing these experiences makes me realize we are all connected and we are all in this situation together, the behavior of one will affect others. We cannot isolate ourselves, it is our common responsibility to prevent HIV and stop it from killing us all, it is our choice!” said Thabo*.

Warren Nebe, Director of Drama For Life, an African Initiative that uses drama and theatre in the response to HIV and AIDS, explained that “Because there is so much pain and death people have learned how to harden their emotions. Dealing with the biological and medical aspect of HIV is not enough, we need to deal with the soul and arts can speak to the soul”.

The project has been officially launched in Lesotho in November 2009. To date it has reached over 650 community members and young people in acquiring HIV risk reduction and avoidance information. Future plans include linking performances to other critical services.

NGOC Chairperson, Selloane Mokuku says “theatre that is appropriate to current social realities and draws on the rich native knowledge of communities can powerfully engage people to open up and reveal their deepest emotions. This offers a great opportunity to link theatre with other services such as psychosocial support and HIV testing and counseling”.

In a country with the third highest HIV prevalence rate in the world, where young people, especially girls, are disproportionately affected and over 220,000 children are orphans, this intervention provides a fresh approach to HIV prevention and a critical step towards ensuring a young generation free of HIV.

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About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For more information, please contact:

Clelia Barbadoro, UNICEF Lesotho
Tel +266-58882872 | +266 22 315801
cbarbadoro@unicef.org

Selloane Mokuku, NGOC Lesotho
Tel: +266-63314927 | +266 22 310217
smokuku@hotmail.com