The major causes of stigma and discrimination in the schools and communities where Patsimeredu has worked relate to lack of information. Most people, especially in rural areas, only have basic information on HIV/AIDS – especially regarding transmission – but they do not know what they can do when someone is HIV-positive. In these cases information is critical.

In some communities, especially in urban and peri-urban areas, students are better informed about HIV/AIDS. Patsimeredu believes that young people are well placed to deal with issues that affect them, including HIV/AIDS. We have learned that we need to move beyond providing information, and engage youth and encourage them to talk more about HIV/AIDS with their peers, families and communities.

However, this does not mean that we do not have to disseminate information to young people. HIV/AIDS generates new information every day, and often teachers in the communities do not have enough up-to-date information on emerging issues.

Buddies for Love

In the high-density urban areas of Zimbabwe, if one is suspected of being HIV-positive, people use street slang, such as "Akarohwa nematsotsi" (describing the infected person as beaten up by thieves). Some of the music on HIV/AIDS exacerbates the stigmatisation of PLWHA, using war language and disaster metaphors. As a result of the associated stigma, people are afraid of knowing or disclosing their HIV status. When they get sick they just hide in the false sense of security of not knowing their status.

Patsimeredu's school-based theatre programme dispels some of the myths by engaging youth in contemporary HIV/AIDS issues. Buddies for Love aims to deal with stigma and discrimination by giving HIV/AIDS a human face. It addresses negative attitudes towards people infected and affected, the need for friendship and peer support, and provides practical advice for young caregivers and communities to fight stigma and discrimination.

Buddies for Love reaches areas and audiences that other media cannot reach. To get students talking about difficult issues, we present situations relevant to them through drama and improvisation. The performances are followed by discussions, which help the students to share what they have learned and how it relates to their lives and community. We also distribute print materials, including posters, brochures, booklets and magazines. In our experience, most HIV/AIDS-related materials do not reach high-density urban and peri-urban areas, and even less the rural areas. We have visited schools were a teacher still reads five-year-old entertainment magazines. Some schools do not offer HIV/AIDS education for lack of trained teachers or teaching materials.

Netorking to expand coverage

Although community theatre can be a powerful medium, it needs to work with organisations working in HIV/AIDS. Lack of technical support often results in inadequate or, at times, incorrect information being passed on to the audiences.

Patsimeredu receives technical support from the Southern Africa AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS). With their help, we have trained theatre groups to use less stigmatising language in their productions, and encourage them to develop strong links with other theatre groups, AIDS service organisations and government structures, in order to improve community mobilisation. To date, we have trained 15 theatre groups in various provinces in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Our programmes are growing: we are developing advocacy programmes for church leaders; workplace productions (with SAfAIDS); television skits on stigma and discrimination issues; and a programme on young people in care (with John Snow International). Furthermore, we have produced concept papers, guides on how to facilitate discussion on our plays, and a training manual for producing HIV/AIDS theatre.

Theatre offers an incredible opportunity for communities to communicate their needs and concerns to AIDS service organisations and work together to solve HIV/AIDS-related problems, including stigma and discrimination.