Theatre for a Change is excited to announce the launch of an interactive radio project designed to help primary school teachers, learners and their parents communicate more openly and honestly about HIV.

• "What happens next?" - the performers devise "Mary's Story"
• "Ball Up!" - working as a team
• "Come closer, Mary..." - recording the forest scenes
• Elizabeth Ruzunga trains with sound technician Simon Morecroft
• "My daughter, tell me the truth" - Mary's mother inquires if Mary is pregnant
• "La La La!"- the performers record the opening tune
• "If you were Mary, what would you have done differently?" - a primary school learner speaks her mind
• "I don't want sex!" - a learner confronts the teacher during audience touch-tag

In September 2010, 7 newly-qualified primary school teachers (also graduates of TfaC's TTC programme) were trained by the BBC as radio performers and will perform their stories from their schools on national airwaves starting January 2011.

The radio programme will give listeners the chance to call in and interact live with the characters in the story, replacing them in the drama and showing what they would have done differently to change the outcome and reduce their risk of infection. The broadcast will also feature recordings of live performances at schools with teachers, learners and parents as audience members, as well as panel discussions with project partners, stakeholders, and experts on issues raised by the drama.

We are grateful to DFID, CIDA, and Irish Aid for generously funding the pilot.

Listen to the drama

Promotion episode & launch

Listen to the launch (in English), On February 25th, 2011 at Capital Hotel, Lilongwe  

Listen to the promo for Episode 1 (in Chichewa)

Theatre for a Change, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, brings you TISINTHE!, a new interactive radio magazine programme for HIV prevention.  Tune in Fridays at 3 pm and 8 pm beginning March the 4th to hear the story of Mary, a 14-year-old Malawian schoolgirl who is preparing to take her Standard 8 Exams.  Trying as hard as she can to pass, Mary receives some unexpected advice from her teacher:

Teacher:  Mary, do you really think home is the best place to study?

Mary:  I think maybe I'll just be studying in the forest.

Teacher:  That's a good idea.  It?s quiet, it's cool, a conducive environment for studies...

Later on that day, the teacher finds Mary in the forest:

Mary:  Sir, Sir?what are you doing?

Teacher:  I thought you wanted to pass?

Mary:  Yes, I need to pass but?

Teacher:  So I'm trying to help you pass.  Or maybe you don't need the papers?

Mary:  I need them.

Teacher:  So?

Mary:  Please don't touch me.  Please, I'm going...

To find out what happens to Mary next, be sure to tune in Fridays at 3 pm and 8 pm beginning March the 4th, only on Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS).

Episode 1

Listen to episode 1 (in English)

Under serious pressure to pass her exams, Mary gets coerced into trading sex for exam papers by her male teacher.

Episode 2

Listen to episode 2 (in English)

With suspicion growing that she is pregnant, Mary makes a desperate attempt to return her life to normal.

Episode 3

Listen to episode 3 (in English)

Mary's father puts a lot of pressure on her and Mary decides she can no longer stay with her family.

Watch  Interactive Touch Tag of Episode 1 (in Chichewa with English subtitles)

See the impact our work has on primary school teachers, learners and their parents, when they're invited to replace characters in the drama and make the change they want to see.

Episode 7

In Episode 7, Mary faces a crisis with her mother and her aunt. Mr Kadiwa, who got Mary pregnant, is refusing to go for HIV Testing and Counselling. Meanwhile Vincent continues to struggle to stay friends with Mary..

List to episode 7