Yes, I know I've been absent from the blogishpere for a long while now...(not the first time such has happened--#CanadaTwentyTen), but below really sums up why I am where I am, doing what I do.
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Acting to Action – Education for Social Change
Drama is a way of life for youth in The Gambia.
For this expressive people, the evocation of joy and sorrow, happiness and sadness, laughter and community extends routinely from day-to-day life onto the stage in impressive fashion. Today, young people along “The Smiling Coast” are leading the charge as actors for social change. They also continue to demonstrate their flare for the dramatic, as actors…on stage.
On January 29th, 130 students from junior and senior high schools across The Gambia gathered in the coastal centre of Fajara to compete in the Annual Inter-School Drama Competition, hosted by the Nova Scotia-Gambia Association (NSGA). The event was a platform for the schools’ Peer Health Education teams to showcase their theatrical talents and educate the over 500 in attendance about the life skills necessary to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in The Gambia. Drama performances from 15 teams headlined the night, while a junior high quiz contest and impromptu speech competition for senior students rounded out the evening affair.
The event capped off a campaign undertaken by the NSGA, in partnership with Action Aid International-The Gambia that saw Peer Health Educators in- and out of school trained in all regions. These collaborative and interactive workshops, delivered by NSGA trainers and drama troupers, focused on “Life Skills” as they relate to the spread of HIV/AIDS and other STIs, puberty and reproductive health.
In fact, the NSGA has a rich history of cultivating dynamic young leaders to serve as role models and agents of change. For over 20 years, the NSGA has partnered with school and community groups, to deliver valuable educational messages through their Peer Health Education (PHE) teams. The PHE model, which empowers youth to “learn and teach others” has helped develop the critical-thinking capacity and self-confidence of Gambian youth from Basse to Banjul. The use of dramatic techniques and innovative presentation methods has, from the start, been a vital component of how the organization fosters youth leadership in the West African nation.
Canadian contribution
Since their November arrival in Banjul, CIDA interns, Mary Catherine (M.C.) Connolly and Matt DeCourcey have been part and parcel of the front-line work being done by the NSGA in and out of schools throughout The Gambia. A registered nurse and native of Charlottetown, PEI, Connolly has put her intimate knowledge of health issues and her passion for helping others to good use in facilitating workshops in various regions. DeCourcey, a native of Fredericton, NB, with a background in community-development and communications, has been influential in providing new ideas on leadership development and communication education to his Gambian colleagues and PHE teams. In their first three months in-country, these two have been directly involved in the education and coaching of over 300 young people throughout The Gambia. They have also contributed to various public engagement activities of the NSGA.
As a partnership of Canadians and West Africans, the NSGA has made its mark on the development of human capital and international citizenship. Working hand-in-hand, Canadians and Gambians have been, are, and will continue to create opportunities for young people in The Gambia to reach their full potential as educated and active members of society. And, the youth continue to pay the NSGA back in-kind with active and educational performances on the stage.
Through action on the ground, and acting on stage, the NSGA continues to educate for social change.
