Edina Kivuva

Drama As a Tool to Fight Stigma Among People Living with Hiv/ Aids: Fighting Stigma and Discrimination Through Drama Edina Kivuva

The book looks at the stigma or discrimination that people living with HIV face in Africa and also other parts of the world. It is evident that HIV / AIDS is a unique disease because up to date people do not want to openly admit to living with it. However due to sensitization through various mediums of communication people are now going public about their status. The book highlights genres or strands of drama that can be used to address a serious issue like curbing stigma of people living with HIV. Since it may be difficult to openly talk about what a person has gone through living with this disease, it is considered easier to act it. One assumes a character role of a person who is being discriminated and identifies with their problems. People are given brand names due to their HIV status, like slim, nyambizi, victim, among other bad names. When one dies of HIV related conditions,the family members find it difficult to write in the eulogy or mention publicly that they were infected with HIV. This book explores the possibility of using drama to fight the shame associated with HIV/ AIDS diseases.