Life saving theatre

Catherine Musangi, peer educator and puppeteer [Annie Bungeroth]

A young woman, orphaned at the age of 11 when her parents died of HIV/AIDS, is performing puppetry in Kenya to warn young people about the virus.

Puppeteer Catherine Musangi, aged 22, had to care for her five siblings after the death of her parents, with no income.

She now works with a CAFOD supported puppetry project with the Kitui Diocese, using drama to educate teenagers.

Providing an income

"When I was 19 I had some training on HIV/AIDS. I went to the home-based care office to see if they could employ me, because I had to meet my family’s needs. They trained me to become a peer-group educator. Once I started to earn money my brothers started to get food every month.

"Before I got involved with the diocese we were desperate. I didn’t know where to get help.”

"I was 11 when my parents died. I was left with one sister and four brothers to take care of. I was scared – it was something I didn’t expect at that age.

A lost childhood

"My grandmother came to live with us but she’s old, so realistically I was the only one who could provide care. Being an orphan I was desperate and I sought help where I could get it.

"My little brother Boniface was only 18 months old when my mum died. I used to sleep with him, and when he’d cry for breast milk I’d feed him. In the morning I’d cook for him first and then leave him with grandmother.

"I was often late for school but the teachers knew why. I’d also have to leave classes at 2pm because of all the cooking, washing and collecting firewood that I had to do. I had a lot of stress and couldn’t concentrate for thinking about my brother. I used to cry and think: has God made a mistake? My brother’s now 12 and we’re very close – he sees a mother in me.

Foundations for the future

"The diocese is helping my two brothers in secondary school by paying their school fees. They also give my grandmother food and clothes once a month, and treatment whenever anyone falls sick.

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Now I can see that my brothers have hope for life – they’re happy. Boniface is in primary school and is confident that he’ll go on to secondary education.

"Grandmother used to be desperate but now she has a positive attitude to life – through the programme she’s met people in similar situations and she’s shared her experiences. She knows she’s not alone.

"I now want to go to nursing college because I feel I have to help people. Nursing is a good job, and through it I can maybe pay for my brothers’ college education."

Helping teenagers to prevent HIV/AIDS

Catherine has attended seminars on the causes of the behaviour that can lead to HIV/AIDS.

"I learned about behaviour change and about things like drug abuse and stress management,” she says.

"As we grow from children to adults, physical things happen to us. You have to know where to get the right kind of information about these changes – from teachers, from parents, from health-care givers. We need positive not negative answers.

A culture change

"Last month I did a five day behaviour change training course for young people, and concentrated on the importance of voluntary testing and counselling. Lots of the young participants came to me to ask: 'what can we do to become information-givers like you? Can we be tested?' Of the 30 young people, 15 were tested. All were negative, and once they knew this they were full of life. Young people are changing – they’re taking care of themselves.

"The government is now giving money to groups to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. There’s still a lot of ignorance – the government knows the church is fighting for change so they’re helping us.

"There is now a scheme by the government to help people living with HIV/AIDSto set up income-generating activities. The Kitui Diocese can do the HIV test and provide a certificate if the person is HIV positive, and can then help the person get the government help."

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