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Drumming in the message about HIV
TOGO — As we arrived at Massouhoin, a small village on the outskirts of Lomé, it was a very festive scene that greeted us. On some ground in front of the village school, an overhead canopy had been fashioned from multicoloured sheets of cloth stretched between poles which had then been tied together. In the shade this provided below, wooden benches were set out in rows. Some more comfortable-looking couches were already occupied by people who were clearly dignitaries. In front of the seats stood some huge drums. It was explained to me
that on one Sunday afternoon a month – this afternoon – the
village gathered here to sing and drum. The women arriving were in colourful
dresses, the men in cloths wrapped around them in the traditional way.
Rhythm and moves When the drumming started, at once the whole dusty area in front of the school came alive. People were invited up to dance and show off their rhythm and moves. The music drew the participants in and performers and spectators alike were enjoying themselves hugely. Suddenly everything stopped; a man stepped forward and started to talk. A group formed around him and then they held up the Good Samaritan flip chart. “This is Kodjo Vessou,” Estelle Akouegnon, the Bible Society HIV/AIDS Coordinator, told me. “He underwent the Good Samaritan training and he talks to the people about HIV/AIDS. He and his Village Development Committee all came here to educate the people about attitudes to people who are infected. Neglected “Kodjo works for a Lutheran Church NGO called CERAD. He is keen to bring this training to the people in the villages because they’re sometimes neglected – especially when they live close to Lomé,” she explained. The people in the audience participated willingly in the discussions although it was obvious that the women felt a bit reluctant to get involved. “It is not appropriate for women to talk here,” Mrs Akouegnon said, “but they will get their opportunity at home later.” It was gratifying to see how the Bible Society training is paying dividends. It has empowered organisations with relevant and culturally appropriate material which they in turn can use in places – like this village – where it is desperately needed. As we left, more than a hundred people were sitting absorbed in this engaging combination of entertainment and education. This report refers to project 87813. (WR 407/15 - 12.06) [4 photos] |
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