03 December 2004
	Theatre GUERRILLA TACTICS IN THE AIDS WAR By Claire Bisseker

The success of HIV/Aids workplace programmes depends largely on communicating the right message. Different communication methods and messages should be used in different company environments and at different management levels, says Grietjie Strydom, Alexander Forbes health management solutions division head. But no matter at what level the message is pitched, talking about Aids is always made difficult by the nature of the disease - the fact that it is fatal and sexually transmitted. Death and sex are not topics most people feel comfortable discussing, least of all in the workplace. It is thus essential that Aids communicators provide a message of hope, says Strydom. She believes that the crux of their communication should be that every sexually active person needs to know their HIV status. "The message should be that if you are tested and you are negative, then there is hope because you can prevent yourself from becoming HIV-positive," says Strydom. "If you are already positive, there is still hope because you can find out about how to access treatment through government or your employer or medical aid, and you can take steps to prevent infecting others." To this end, employers are increasingly taking steps to provide employees with access to voluntary counselling & testing (VCT) facilities at the workplace during office hours. For VCT to work, communication messages must emphasise the voluntary nature of the testing and the fact that it is completely confidential, says Strydom. Employees will not come forward if they believe the employer will be able to access their results and use this to discriminate against them in some way. A fear among miners on AngloGold's mines in the early days of its antiretroviral treatment programme was that the company only wanted workers to be tested so it could identify those mines with the highest rates of infection in order to shut them down. Alexander Forbes has found that guerrilla theatre can be a successful tool in HIV communication. Guerrilla theatre is similar to industrial theatre, but is even more adaptable since it involves a single short skit by a handful of actors who do not require a stage or any special equipment, are able to communicate in a host of languages, and can move through an entire workplace in a day. Typically employers spring the theatre group on workers by surprise for maximum effect. There is much intermingling of SA languages in the show that Alexander Forbes uses to help break down cultural barriers and to ensure employees are relaxed and entertained, but the effect of the message is not lost. "They give a message of hope and explain why everyone needs to know their HIV status," says Strydom. "They are very comfortable talking about HIV/Aids and sex, and happily answer any questions that the audience may have. For most employees they inject a welcome breath of fresh air into an otherwise depressing topic."