Located in West Africa, Burkina Faso is a land-locked French speaking country, poor in natural resources and currently ranks 164 out of 172 on the Human Development Index. HIV and AIDS is a major issue here. The voluntary sector in Burkina Faso is thriving – almost everyone I met professionally during my placement in Bobo Dioulassou, the second city, was involved in at least one voluntary association, often more. A few years ago the government took the decision to assign all education and awareness-raising work to the voluntary sector and VSO works with several of these partners, tackling both prevention and care.
Issues around HIV and AIDS are discussed in school and widely in the community. Nonetheless, it was a bit of a surprise to me that the Union of Cotton Producers should have selected for the entertainment at their end-of-year/New Year’s party (held of course in February) a series of comic sketches with various HIV and AIDS themes - including a condom demonstration, using a specially made wooden demonstration penis.
Sida Ka Tâa, the voluntary association I was supporting, was commissioned to provide this. Their name means ‘AIDS, away with you’. The Association works using the arts – music, theatre, puppetry, story-telling – to spread prevention and health awareness information about HIV and AIDS and other serious health issues such as Malaria, Tuberculosis and malnutrition. Their methods are particularly powerful with young people, and with those who have not gone, or do not go, to school.
Since this was the Cotton Producers big night out, they were arrayed in fantastic costumes, displaying the best of Burkinabé cotton and weaving. The sketches, and the condom demonstration, did not provoke any embarrassment. Instead, a lively question and answer session followed with questions such as the safe disposal of condoms where the wearer may be HIV positive. Food and drink (Coca Cola, Fanta and perhaps a little beer) flowed, and everyone had a good time.
Initiatives such as these have helped reduce HIV and AIDS levels in Burkina Faso. However, VSO and its local partners believe that the numbers can be pushed lower, which is why there is still a need to maintain and extend education.
To support VSO’s work on HIV and AIDS, join our fundraising appeal this Christmas. Visit our Thirty Years pages http://www.vso.org.uk/events/thirtyyears for more information.
