Edutainment and HIV/Aids Awareness

CARICOM, through various edutainment projects, has partnered with regional artistes, convincing them to use their talents to help make the Caribbean a better Community for all. Through PANCAP, the CARICOM Secretariat has undertaken a Caribbean HIV and AIDS Edutainment Project in 2007-2008, which was funded by the World Bank. The project focused on reducing HIV and AIDS related stigma and discrimination and promoting Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) through the use of the visual and performing Arts.

During an eighteen month period, several activities were undertaken including research on HIV and AIDS related stigma and discrimination and its causes in the Caribbean;  the production of a 30-minute edutainment video, and a theater play written and directed by renowned Saint Lucian playwright Kendell Hippolyte.

All materials focused on strong HIV/AIDS awareness messages and other issues such as healthy lifestyles, culture, gender and education. The project brought together writers and health specialists from Saint Lucia and Suriname in workshops in Suriname to establish the parameters of the products as well as the basic outlines for scripts and other related products. This intervention created an edutainment kit which included information sheets, an edutainment theatre piece In Half An Hour and the Caribbean Media Award winning films Wan Lobi Tori (A Love Story) and Sma Mofo (Gossip) related to HIV and AIDS.  Both films were written and directed by Surinamese playwright and director Sharda Ganga. Sma Mofo was produced under the CARICOM/PANCAP/World Bank partnership while Wan Lobi Tori was earlier produced by PAHO.