PROJECT HAND UP
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Mission Statement
We are dedicated to teaching HIV and AIDS prevention education in East Africa and beyond. We use puppetry and magic to teach key health science and disease prevention concepts in a way that is culturally appropriate and doesn't offend.
About This Cause
We develop culturally appropriate and visually entertaining educational curriculum that anyone can use. We also present “deluxe” high-impact, performance art based educational programs ourselves in English, Kiswahili and various native languages of East Africa. MISSION: To teach East Africans about living productive, healthy lives and prevent the spread of HIV by using novel performance and visual art educational presentations. We use puppetry, magic and storytelling to educate and promote social change in the area of health. We currently create and perform curricula on HIV prevention and related social and health issues. •We train local educators to use simple performing arts to teach health concepts. •We create and distribute educational curriculum to existing community health educators that utilize visual and performing arts. •We perform educational live shows at schools, churches and community centers. TOPICS INCLUDE: • Stigmatization of those living with HIV • The importance of getting tested • How transmission takes place/how it does not • Prevention • Self acceptance PUPPETS ARE TOOLS TO TEACH TALKING ABOUT HUMAN SEXUALITY AND DISEASE ISN’T NORMALLY ACCEPTABLE IN PUBLIC. A PUPPET HAS A SPECIAL “PERMISSION” TO SAY THINGS THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE BE CONTROVERSIAL OR EMBARRASSING TO AN AUDIENCE. PUPPETS ALLOW US TO TEACH LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE ABOUT THINGS THEY WOULDN’T NORMALLY LEARN IN A WAY THAT COMPLEMENTS THE CULTURE BY USING STORYTELLING AND VISUALS IN A WARM AND JOYFUL WAY THAT REALLY WORKS Writers and Development Partners: We are working closely with specialists in children’s education to make this project possible. The program developers we are working with have been long recognized as a leader in combining education with entertainment. They have been producing age-appropriate, instructional puppet programs since 1974. Their creative staff wrote and produced all of the music, lyrics and instructional programming (including dialog and songs) for McGruff’s Crime Prevention and Drug Protection Program; a graded puppet program created in cooperation with and licensed by the National Crime Prevention Council and featuring a puppet version of McGruff, the Crime Dog. Introduced in 1985 and implemented in thousands of elementary schools nationwide, this program is still in use in classrooms across the country. • We have a close working relationship (established in PHASE I) with some of Kenya’s most gifted stand-up comedians and comedy writers. They serve as editors and consultants to our creative staff in the USA. • We have sought counsel with the a Kenyan theatrical company who specialize in presenting this kind of content as well. • We also work with script writers at major studios in Hollywood to deliver the funny.