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  < M&L Home < Stories The Rapid Funding Envelope for HIV/AIDS: Tanzania |
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"Let not our poverty be the cause of our catastrophes!" The women's voices slowly fade as a man appears on stage. He approaches the young woman stealthily, with a sly smile on his wrinkled face. She returns his gaze with a flirtatious smile on her smooth one, awaiting his opening line: "Look what I have for you." The purse is elegant and expensive; it is a special gift for her friendship...and more. Her face shows approval as she tries to contain her emotions. She takes it gently and he watches, waiting for her reaction before asking: "Are you free for this evening?" She accepts unconditionally, pondering how much a purse like this would cost. Certainly more than the 48,000 Shillings (US$49) her family brings home monthly, the average salary for Tanzanians.
The audience of Chuwini village is spellbound, paying close attention to a scene they are all too familiar with and perhaps have experienced themselves. While discussing taboo subjects can be challenging anywhere, in the predominantly Muslim, conservative regions the project targets, it is even more so. According to the United Nations (UN), women and girls account for 58% of those living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa; adolescents girls aged 15-19 are infected at rates four to seven times than boys. Meanwhile, another UN study demonstrated that young African brides are acquiring HIV from their husbands, who tend to be much older and were infected before marriage. These alarming statistics, caused by poverty, lack of education, and inequity—will triumph if women are not empowered enough to counteract them through behavior change.
After watching an older man seduce a young woman, the audience is roused. Using music and dance typical of Zanzibar, a song follows the scene to encourage women to say no to men if it means their safety or health could be at risk: "Women, it is time for us to say NO and address our challenges!" As the actors prompt the audience further, a spirited discussion ensues. The spectators echo the problems presented and discuss ways to overcome them—from involving family to relying on support networks. One scene later, a man and woman tumble together, laughing and mumbling incoherently as they fall to the ground. The man is too drunk to get up, passing out and closing his eyes. She laughs at him, also too drunk to see what is coming next. A group of men surround her, making snide comments about her state, though she is too inebriated to understand. They carry her off, they rape her, and she too passes out. The next scene is set months later and the woman, still drinking, has grown ill, thin and haggard. From a night she cannot remember, she has contracted HIV. The graphic depiction has hit home; the audience grows serious and what follows is a discussion that is long overdue and won't be forgotten easily: "Women, it is time to wake up and reject everything that leads us to be infected with the AIDS virus!"
After the play, a small group of women reflect and discuss their impressions. As they are challenged to think for themselves and make decisions that will prevent them from falling prey to the country's social ills—whether domestic violence, forced marriage, or HIV/AIDS—they agree on one thing: "The plays are based in reality and everything in them is true...we need to change our behavior and to look at everyone as if they are already sick." Saying this takes courage, but the women in this audience don't seem to lack that today. Giving Women a Voice has inspired them and hopefully, the next time they need to, they will do what they've done today and speak out. 1 Canadian International Development Agency, Ireland Aid, Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation, Embassy of Finland, Royal Netherlands Embassy, Royal Danish Embassy, Royal Norwegian Embassy, United States Agency for International Development For more information about the RFE, please contact:
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Giving Women a Voice found similar issues in its research; focus groups conducted in the coastal city of Tanga documented these: from polygamy and alcoholism to forced marriage and witchcraft. Undercutting all these issues was women's perception that they lacked a voice to off-set them. Using these findings, the Department worked closely with local actors, religious and political leaders, gender groups, HIV/AIDS organizations, as well as community members, to develop a series of plays first performed in Tanga and now blanketing Zanzibar's 200 villages and reaching virtually all of the island's 800,000 people. Videos of the final production will ensure not only that the message is heard, but that it is repeated again and again in an engaging manner that stimulates further discussion. And it is working.
Two hours later, the performance draws to a close having presented plays on polygamy, alcoholism, forced marriage, witchcraft, deliberate transmission of HIV, domestic violence, and greed. Each play has demonstrated clear and dangerous links with HIV/AIDS, often to the shock of the audience. They have held on until the end, participating actively and visibly moved by issues that impact them all, young and old, male and female. 
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