Linda Cairnes, a community artist, based in the Stoke Area, was invited to direct an arts project in Swaziland earlier this war, for their first ever, National Arts Festival. This was as a volunteer, with funding for travel and arts materials given by Staffordshire Buddies, the North West Arts Board, and collections from friends.
Because of her involvement with the Stoke World Aids Day Events for the last 3 years she wanted to research and develop the beginnings of a long- term HIV’ AIDS education and awareness project in this typical African Sub Saharan country. Links were formed with the only centre of support for those with HIV/AIDS in Mbabane, the capital of Swaziland. This is run on a shoestring basis by the Salvation Army Hospital. Counselling and advice are given but there is no finding available for broader education out in the community, nor are any drugs available that ordinary people can afford.

Between 1 in 5 and 1 in 3 sexually active adults in most sub-Saharan countries are HIV Positive!

The Future in most African countries looks very bleak, unless a massive education program is undertaken. In a country like Swaziland, typical of most African nations, more than 1/2 total population is under 18. With over a 1/3 of sexually active adults being HIV positive this means that there are many, many young either going to get the virus in the near future or will lose their parents to the disease.

Imagine these frightening statistics in your own community.

Linda wants to return to Swaziland in September 1999 and train volunteers to go into the community and educate the young on sexual health issues.
There is little or no funding in African countries for preventative education. Clear information is unavailable even to health care workers, let alone the general population. Fear, ignorance and denial prevail: meanwhile the virus spreads. Prevention has to be through Education and Awareness.

What follows is a personal account of her experiences and perceptions.

 “My own agenda was to experience the new, have some fun, to see some more of Africa. a land I have always felt connected to, as I have a daughter of mixed race. But first and foremost I wanted to explore the HIV AIDS situation and see what education was being used in raising awareness and prevention. In particular I wanted to see how arts education could be used. This is an area I have been trained to work in and have some experience working with young adults in the Stoke area and in Manchester. I also wanted to witness and participate in the beginnings of an arts event in an African country. Sort of in that order.
Swaziland lies in the north east of South Africa , just below the Mozambique border, it is now an Independent nation. It was once a British protectorate, and in the Apartheid years was a base for most of the aid agencies. It is ruled by its own King, is very hierarchical, the people seem to be quite shy, and very polite to one another. The lush ceAial valley grow cash crops of pineapple, sugarcane and citrus fruits. This is surrounded by dry mountainous regions Which look spectacular but are not productive. A large proportion of the population live in these regions and don’t have electricity nor running water. They often rely on a male member of the family to work away in the two big towns. This is a typical situation in most of Southern Africa
I worked for a month, with 3 groups of young people. A group of 20 boys and girls lit in the SOS orphanage in the capital town of Swaziland, Mbabane; 25 boys from the small village of Mldane, 30 klms from Mbabane; and a small group of street kids who were based at a shelter on the outskirts if Mbabane.
Compared to the way things move in this country, organising anything in Africa can be painfully slow. Especially if it’s an idea that’s unfamiliar or unknown. I went in 1998 with the intention of getting children to participate in a town parade.
Arts festivals can often I exclusive to those who can’t afford to participate and I wanted to be involved in something ordinary folk could both participate in and watch. A secular town parade had never occurred before. All ceremonies in Swaziland have been connected to the culture the Swazi royal family. This Arts Festival was the first time that ordinary people took to the streets in a celebratory parade just for the hell of it. This can be very self affirming. especially for young street kids or children and workers from an orphanage.
Nearly all schooling has to be paid for in this small country, as in most other African nations. Particularly after primary stage. This means that a vast percentage of the young population does not have access to regular education.
Over half the population is under 18 and consequently, HIV? Aids issues and access to sexual health information in this younger part of the population is limited. They are also in greatest need of sexual health education. Unfortunately there appears to be no overall policy instituted to educate on these issues and there is still widespread denial of the existence of the disease. Most villagers still use the local witch doctor for medical advice and primary health care and only resort to qualified medics as a last resort.
I wanted to use an arts activity to promote healthy sex education and get others interested in continuing this work. I wanted to show it was possible to raise sensitive issues in an unthreatening way. There is a great resistance to discuss these themes as the sexual mores in Swaziland, as in the rest of Sub Saharan Africa, actually promotes the spread of HIV/AIDS. It is not helped by the menfolk being absent from home earning a wage elsewhere.
Using small theatre groups, it would be possible to create a cost effective touring performance that involves young people and encourages them to deal with these issues in a fun/ light hearted way. Information would also filter back to parents and siblings in a community and is a much more effective campaign than more conventional methods used elsewhere. Most of these communities don’t have easy access to the media on an every day basis.
My first visit in 1998 enabled me to make contacts through the arts festival, with local youth theatre groups and broach these new ideas. It is now my intention to go back in September 1999 and develop this work with the new friends I have made. There is a tremendous amount of goodwill and energy there, ready to be focussed on this urgent work. I really believe that using the arts is one of the best ways of educating large communities; where there is involvement and participation in an atmosphere of creativity and fun.”