Taking the lead into this semester
Wow! Another semester just flew by and here I am once again with essays, assignments and projects staring me in the face.
Briefly recapping on the past semester, it has been both exciting and challenging especially with the community work we did.
Through our Applied Drama and Theatre classes we were expected to initiate and create a site-specific project with our chosen community groups. Some of my classmates and I worked with a group of peer educators at The New Life Centre in Hillbrow. This was exciting as we met with different people who shared their ideas and experiences with us in relation to HIV/AIDS.
Summarising my experience with New Life Centre and echoing our lecturer Sara Matchett’s words which I strongly believe in, “theatre is of the body; transformation begins within yourself before you send it to other people.”
I’m sure you will agree with me that these are pretty powerful words. Reflecting on this I still feel that there is a need for me to completely erase some of the evils of society including what it means to live with HIV/AIDS.
Also in the first semester, I had the opportunity to choose what research topic I wished to pursue that would allow me to facilitate workshops for my fellow teachers in Namibia. With the help of my supervisor I chose the topic: Examining how process drama can be an effective medium for classroom teachers to use in addressing HIV/AIDS awareness amongst learners from age 9-15.
Over the semester break I once again found myself in Africa’s beautiful Namibia; known for its friendliness. During the vacation GTZs Namibia’s Technical Advisor, Jennifer Loewen introduced me to a Namibian film by Philip Wetu called, Three and a Half Lives.
The film is a joint effort by the multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS control programme and Goethe- Centre Windhoek, Namibia. This is an interactive film aimed at educating and raising awareness around HIV/AIDS and relationships. Three and a Half Lives theme centres on multiple concurrent partners, a major driver of the epidemic in Namibia and elsewhere. The strength of the film lies in that it provides great opportunities for personalised discussions. It is not only the actors who are at risk and have problems, but it is actually us, the people around us, and the friends that we admire for their lifestyles.
Also, through facilitated discussions, one might be inspired to consider what impact his/her life choices may have on his/her self and others.