Njabulo HIV/AIDS Intervention Programme

Overview

Over the past 4 years in Southern Africa, CWB-South Africa has developed an innovative program strategy called the Njabulo HIV/AIDS Intervention Programme, using laughter and play as a means for emotional relief and resilience to children and their primary caregivers who have been affected by HIV/AIDS.  We collaborate with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) throughout Southern Africa who provide support to communities in Home-Based Care and Orphans and Vulnerable Children services. Our teams consist of professional performing artists, educators, and logistics personnel with experience working with populations affected by trauma who focus on the following areas of intervention: performance and arts education.  

Performances

Send in the clowns! Over the past 7 years, CWBSA has performed for over 185,000 children and adults in communities affected by crisis. Even though the performances are brief interventions that provide momentary emotional relief, they remain a crucial aspect to our intervention methodology. As an introduction to the community, our performances are a combination of drama, circus, and music that help transform places from grief and emotional suffering to joy and happiness by creating an atmosphere of celebration. Although CWBSA does not focus on direct HIV prevention and education, the performances raise awareness of important issues facing communities relating to the experience of being affected by HIV/AIDS. These include discrimination and stigma, poverty, women’s empowerment, coping with death, the loss of a loved one, abandonment, and compassion for those who have been affected by the disease. Performances are offered in neutral locations such as public schools and community centers to reduce the stigmatization of children who have been impacted by the HIV/AIDS. Thus, the performances create a bridge for the CWBSA facilitating artists to immediately connect with beneficiaries on a wide level while setting the stage for deeper PSS interventions in interventions.

Arts Interventions

CWBSA’s arts education and therapy intervention methodology has been developed specifically for vulnerable children and their guardians affected by HIV/AIDS. Incorporating drama, storytelling, song, circus arts, and mindfulness based stress reduction, the Njabulo HIV/AIDS Intervention Programme aims at developing a sense of emotional wellbeing and resiliency for those who have been directly impacted by the pandemic. Participants explore imagination, play, compassion, gratitude, and loving kindness through various exercises designed to help them connect to each other at home and thus strengthen the bond between children and their guardians. Particular attention is given to learning coping mechanisms with stress and grief associated with the loss of a loved one and the burden of poverty. The programme is implemented in two parts: an initial 10-day PSS intervention and a 5-day follow-up.

Implementation

The Njabulo HIV/AIDS Intervention Programme has been implemented with many different community based organizations throughout Southern Africa.  We adapt our model to fit the needs of the commnunity as the situation differs in each region. CWB-South Africa is currently embarking on a year-long project in Swaziland to develop the local capacity of communities to carry out Project Njabulo's workshop activities. We hope to implement this model on a wider basis throughout the region.

10-Day Initial Intervention and 5-Day Follow-Up

The initial intervention addresses bereavement and coping skills through a wide variety of applied drama, music, and arts activities. Working with roughly 35 affected children ages 8-16 and their corresponding guardians, CWBSA facilitating artists lead participants in workshops that explore bereavement issues and parenting skills in a multidisciplinary and holistic approach. Our curriculum incorporates traditional cultural mediums of storytelling, song, dance, and African drama with innovative practices of play therapy, symbolic play, circus arts, and Mindfulnness Based Stress Reduction. The core focus is to provide the children with a forum to explore bereavement issues and allow them the opportunity to be children again – to play, be creative, and have fun together – in a safe and nurturing environment. The curriculum involves an adaptation of a traditional Southern African story into a dramatic presentation by the children. This story involves themes that are related to the children’s lives including death, dreams, hope, stigma, and community.

At the same time, CWBSA facilitating artists work with the children’s primary guardians to develop tools for coping with stress in their lives. They rediscover a sense of play and creativity as a way of connecting to their children in a loving relationship. We focus on storytelling, play, and mindfulness based stress relief in these sessions as well as songs, games, and simple movement exercises. The guardians are also given homework each day to begin incorporating these activities into their daily interaction with the children. They report their successes and difficulties with the homework at the beginning of the following session. The final session focuses on continuing the practices and exercises beyond the intervention. They are also invited to the culminating activity of the children’s workshop.

Culminating Activities

At the end of each intervention, the children and guardians come together in a culminating activity, or Family Day, that celebrates the completion of the programme. This event involves all participants in games, traditional dance and song, and other exercises. It is important to provide an opportunity for the children and guardians to play together as well as share their stories. At the end of the 10-day intervention, the children perform an adaptation of a traditional Southern African story that explores bereavement, discrimination, and hope. In the 5-day workshop, the children create short plays depicting how they will achieve their life dreams in the future. The guardians also share stories they have created during the intervention. Bringing together all the different components of the intervention programme – play, drama, storytelling, mindfulness, and traditional dance and song, the participants experience firsthand the importance of how creative expression can strengthen bonds in the community and at home.

For more information, please contact us at info@cwbsa.org.