Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - October 17, 2004
Futhi Ntshingila
Retrenched members of the SA Clothing and Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu) are taking part in a soap-opera-style play.
Set in a factory, it tells workers about the value of knowing their HIV status and teaches them their rights. The show is being performed during lunchbreaks in factories in KwaZulu-Natal.
Feroza Mansoor, a medical doctor and national director of the Sactwu Aids Project, said: "The project is special because the audience sees people from the industry on stage who play characters from a factory, making it easy to understand and identify with."
She said she had noticed that it was easier to get a worker to listen to a play than to a talk. "We hope to extend this to other provinces. This year we want to reach at least 10000 members. It is our aim eventually to educate every single person in the industry."
Jessica Friehwald, the coordinator of the play, said the union had a clinic equipped with a social worker and counsellor.
Rita Rama, a member of the cast, said taking part in the play had given her a purpose after she had been retrenched.
"It's encouraging to know that something I am doing is helping people understand about this disease. They ask a lot of questions after the play, which shows that they have been listening. We have to read and learn a lot so that we can answer their questions," she said.
041017
ST041014
Copyright © 2004 - The Sunday Times. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Sunday Times Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2004. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2004. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .