• March 15, 2008

Khululeka cast in action

I salute!

It’s in our hands

On a taxi ride to the clinic – a typical South African journey

Portraying the attitudes of school children towards HIV/AIDS

“Live like a candle which burns itself, yet gives light to others. Look backwards with gratitude, upwards with confidence, forward with hope.”

These are the opening words of a poem written by a young woman who had recently watched a production of the educational HIV/AIDS play Khululeka. At 18, the author of the poem was raped and infected with HIV/AIDS.

The poem was sent to Di Kershaw, owner of Hecate, the company that produces the play. Says Kershaw: “Every day, when I read things like this, I know that we are out there making a difference to as many people as possible.”

Hecate describes the production as a “hard-hitting, emotional play that stresses the necessity of banishing the HIV stigma and encourages people to feel confident about openly discussing the disease and their status. Khululeka is Hecate’s most current theatrical production and is indeed meeting its objectives. Based on the real-life stories of 11 people who have lived with HIV and AIDS, Khululeka encourages people to get tested and know their status.”

The young actors who participate in the play are trained in HIV/AIDS education and counselling. After the play is performed, the audience can ask the actors questions.

The young girl’s poem, titled A Candle, reads as follows:

“Live like a candle which burns itself

Yet gives light to others.

Look backwards with gratitude

Upwards with confidence

Forward with hope.

When you truly care for someone,

You don’t look for faults.

You don’t look for questions,

You don’t look for answers,

Instead you fight the mistakes.

You accept the faults,

You overlook excuses and

You take each other to prayer.

A gentle reminder that the most

Precious thing in life cannot be

Built by man or bought by man

But can be able to see, to hear,

to touch, to taste, to feel and to love.

Let’s unite and fight against HIV/AIDS

Have a wonderful journey of life.”

Another example of the impact of the play can be seen in a letter sent to Hecate and 46664 by Phillip Lilienthal of Global Camps Africa, based in the United States.

Global Camps Africa hosts camps for young children and teenagers affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The organisation regards HIV/AIDS education and life skills as a critical prevention tool, and shows Khululeka to its campers as part of a partnership with 46664.

Lilienthal praised the Khulueka group for its performance. “Once again, the group was great. Even better, after the show, our oldest group of boys came and told us they wanted to be tested! How rewarding to have such cause and effect. Congratulations.

“This is the first camp where we have asked for camper consent and parental assent for testing. We have this for about 75% of the campers. We will act on it when they get home and we get them to a clinic. Thanks again for the wonderful work you are doing, and for bringing it to us.”

Khululeka forms part of the Youth in Dialogue initiative of the Nelson Mandela Foundation and 46664. The dialogue project hopes to “address HIV prevention for young people by young people through a conversation in their own communities”.