Combating HIV/Aids through peer interaction at UJ

June 27, 2012 | Themba Interactive

Facilitators/trainers using applied drama to deal with issues in communities

Themba Interactive, together with the Institutional Office for HIV and Aids (IOHA) at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), is equipping students with the strategies and skills needed to deal with the impact of HIV/Aids in their communities.

The IOHA has created a group of volunteer students and peer educators, known as LINK, to work among the student population to mitigate the impact of HIV/Aids. The project aims to equip LINK members with applied drama skills and other participatory methods they can use within their community to create dialogue on the topic.

The start of the partnership saw two Themba facilitators/ trainers – Bhekilizwe Ndlovu and Zimele Ndlovu – travel to the UJ Island on the Vaal Dam to take part in LINK member training from March 28 to 30 2012.

Some of the LINK members rehearsing

Part of the audience at the Panorama Residence performance

Topics that were covered included alcohol and drug abuse, multiple sexual partners including "sugar daddies", unwanted pregnancies, STIs including HIV and issues relating to TB and HIV co-infection.

The training was done using aspects of applied drama such as script writing, performance, image theatre and storytelling. Members engaged with the topics and appreciated the training as something they could use among their peers.

Themba is also involved with the UJ Residence intervention, where aspects of applied drama are used to create safe spaces for the students to discuss social issues that affect them and their communities, such as homophobia, illegal abortions, date rape, peer pressure and any other topic identified by the students.

While students in general face the same challenges, Themba always seeks to produce tailor-made interventions that take social differences into consideration.