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Theater for Development (TFD) Performances

The first Theatre for Development (TFD) performance was done at Mchilima Primary School, Puteya Education Zone, Traditional Authority Mposa in Machinga District. The play was created using findings from the action research done by the TFD Troupe. The performance was part of the TFD training that MESA conducted for Chancellor College students. More than 1,000 people - parents, teachers, school pupils, civil servants (including the District Commissioner Mr. Harrison Lende), and community leaders (including the Traditional Authority Mposa and MESA officials) - attended the performance.

The play centers around a nuclear family with a father, mother, son and daughter. One night the father goes to the night dances and engages in sexual activities where he contracts HIV/AIDS. At the same time, the family forces their only daughter into an early marriage. As father begins suffering from AIDS, the son is forced to quit school. Meanwhile, there are "vendors" in the community who pretend that they are medical personnel and give people injections. One of these vendors injects the whole family with one syringe. The father, feeling ill, goes to a health clinic. The mother, also feeling ill goes to the clinic for medicine, but she forgets how to administer the prescription. She asks the son to read the prescription for her, but he is unable to read because of his prolonged absenteeism from school. Consequently, the son misleads his mother and she overdoses on the medication. The father blames his brother-in-law and accuses the brother-in-law of bewitching him. The conflict then gets referred to the chief where issues regarding HIV/AIDS are discussed. Eventually, the mother's overdose is blamed on the parent's lack of interest in their son's education. The court advises them to send him back to school, which they do. He excels in school and goes to secondary school/college. The father eventually dies, but the mother gets assistance from her working son.

The drama performance enables the audience to participate in a discussion of HIV/AIDS; the problems are presented, solutions are discussed with the cast, and a better understanding of HIV/AIDS is achieved by all in attendance.