CASE 1:
“Use of optimum planning of street play locations, timing and pre-publicity result in large audience and successful shows”
Area: Sion-Koliwada
Arogyasakhi: Premila Singh
“After being given the task of conducting street plays in our community for spreading HIV/AIDS awareness, women from our Self-Help Group got into action and began organizing pre-publicity activities in the community. They put up a banner in the area and decided to use the street in the local vegetable market area at the peak time of 5:30 pm, anticipating large crowds. The women also invited leaders from two local political parties.
The troupe arrived and we started the play at 5:30pm and as expected large crowds gathered to watch what was going on. Women who had come to the market gathered, as did people who were walking back home from the station. Even people on cycles and rickshaw drivers parked their vehicles and stood to watch the entire play. It was a great feeling to see so many people stand in the crowd and watch the play attentively. An approximate total of 150 people watched the play.
Our women organizers even distributed pamphlets containing HIV/AIDS related information to the audience during the course of the play. We heard people talk among themselves about how they liked the play and some were even asking, ‘Ye log (Play troupe) kahaan se aaye hain?’
Overall it was a successful show and a large crowd took home the important messages of HIV/AIDS.”
“MDACS training on HIV/AIDS helped me overcome my fear of this disease and more importantly the fear of being around those who are infected with HIV/AIDS”
Area: Anushakti Nagar
Arogyasakhi: Baby Ramesh More
“Earlier, whenever I heard the word ‘HIV’ or ‘AIDS’ I would be petrified. I was scared of this disease and even more afraid to be around people infected with HIV.
Once as I was travelling in the train, I happened to sit next to a woman who was busy chatting with the other women around her. She looked normal and continued her conversation. The moment she said the word ‘HIV’ and continued that she was infected, I sensed disgust sitting next to her. I wanted to get up and change my seat immediately. I feared that I might get infected with the disease.
But today I am no longer afraid of HIV/AIDS. I know that it does not spread by merely sitting next to an infected person. I am fully aware of how HIV virus is transmitted and the ways of prevention. All of this information was given to us at the training workshop organized by MDACS. This workshop not only educated us women about HIV/AIDS but it has also given me and other women like me the courage to educate others about this disease and reduce the fear and stigma attached to it.”.
“The audience enjoyed the street play so much that they requested for another performance”
Area: Chembur
Arogyasakhi: Sneha Bhalerao
“Women from 4 Self-Help Groups got together to organize the street plays for the community. We put up posters near Buddha Vihar informing the people about the event and the time 2 days prior to the actual event, as a result of which people arrived at the location on time.
The play was conducted in the evening as we anticipated large crowds at this time. Majority of the audience were youth and women. Local political leaders, who were invited, attended the play in full strength to show their support.
The audience was highly impressed and enjoyed the performance. They even requested for a repeat performance. We then tied up with a Ganesh Mandal, and organized another 3 shows for the community. The street play troupe was welcomed with flower bouquets by members of the Mandal. As expected they performed well and the audience paid rapt attention.
The support that we received only goes on to show the acceptance that the community gives to the cause of HIV/AIDS.”
“Street Plays are an effective medium of spreading HIV/AIDS awareness among people from diverse backgrounds.”
Area: Santacruz
Arogyasakhi: Surekha Satish Jadhav
“We made announcements in the selected locations prior to the events. We conducted our first set of street plays near a rickshaw stand in Vakola during afternoon hours. Hence our audience consisted entirely of auto-rickshaw drivers who gathered around the troupe and listened attentively.
On the next day, we chose the rickshaw stand, Buddha Vihar and bus stop as our 3 locations, to get a variety of audience to watch the street plays. This time around, all shows were conducted in the evening. The script of the play was based on a character from North India who comes to Mumbai to earn a living and gets infected with HIV. The troupe used the typical northern accent and made the play authentic and enjoyable. In fact, large parts of the audience were migrants from North India, who could relate to the character. They enjoyed the play and this was evident from their clapping and cheering for the troupe.
They even offered the troupe some tea and snacks after the performance. We feel street play is a very interesting and effective medium of getting people from diverse backgrounds, educating and uniting them for the cause of HIV/AIDS.”
“Street plays continued despite heavy rains, only to show the community’s support for the cause of HIV/AIDS”
Area: Anushakti Nagar & Cheetah Camp
Arogyasakhi: Sudha Vaidhande
“One day prior to the street plays, women from our Self-Help Group distributed pamphlets and went around the community creating awareness about the event and mobilizing an audience.
The mobilizing itself taught our women a lot and gave them confidence. Anushakti Nagar is such an area where there is tight security and no one is allowed to enter the area without security check. Despite this, our women entered the area and went around doing publicity for the HIV/AIDS street plays.
We were happy that the plays attracted huge crowds and the audience understood the key messages. However, during the course of the play, it suddenly started raining very heavily. Rains were unexpected and this caused panic within us. We were worried that we would lose our audience because of the rain. But thankfully, most of the people stayed till the end, despite the heavy rains and even our troupe performed without a pause, till the finish.
The crowd was so impressed with the troupe’s performance that some audience members even offered monetary rewards to troupe members, which they politely refused.”
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