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September 2008
Over the past few weeks, farm workers in the Darling area were entertained in an
unusual way: Through an initiative of the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management and The
Darling Trust, the educational mini-musical Lucky the Hero was presented on several farms,
teaching people the basic facts of HIV and AIDS in everyday language, and through using a
whole lot of humour.
Lucky the Hero is the first play of the Africa Institute
for HIV/AIDS Management, a non-profit
organisation linked to the Africa Centre that aims to develop
and implement community service
projects related to HIV and AIDS management. It was written
by actress Vicky Davis and directed by
Prof Jimmie Earl Perry, Director of Educational Theatre
and Creative Arts at the institute.
It all started when Prof Jan du Toit, Director of the Africa
Centre, approached entertainer and satirist
Pieter-Dirk Uys, who is well-known for his philanthropic
work around HIV and AIDS specifically, to get
involved with the centre. After seeing Lucky for the first
time, Uys immediately asked the centre to
become involved with The Darling Trust, a charitable trust
of which Uys is the founder trustee. The
trust assists the community of Darling and surrounding areas
by empowering individuals to help
themselves, mainly through participation in the sectors
of education, skills development and health.
A total of 47 farms in the area participated in the initiative,
with people from several farms meeting at
one farm to watch the play. Between 600 and 800 people were
reached by the 12 shows, which were
presented once or twice a week.
“The farms were very organised and everyone arrived
on time,” said Burt Davis of the Africa Centre.
The enthusiasm of the Lucky team was just as high –
gravel roads and getting lost here and there in
the beautiful unspoilt area could not dampen their spirit.
The education does not end when the actors walk off stage.
A crucial part of the Lucky the Hero
initiative is giving the audience the opportunity to undergo
voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), so
that they can know their HIV status and change their behaviour
accordingly. TB Cares, an NGO in
Malmesbury, facilitated the VCT service. The play also aims
to challenge people to examine their
attitudes towards HIV and AIDS, including eliminating stigma
and discrimination, regularly associated
with a lack of knowledge.
There are many success stories that can be told about Lucky
the Hero – stories of people who finally
understand the facts about HIV and AIDS after being alienated
from traditional educational initiatives,
stories of people who have the courage to know their HIV
status, stories of people who are
empowered to turn the tide against the epidemic in their
communities. The Darling intervention now
joins the list of these inspiring stories.
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