Trainees of InterACT programme graduate

Accra, June 18, GNA - Twenty-five young professionals selected from 13 local nongovernmental organisation (NGO) and community-based organisations (CBO) on Friday, graduated from Phase one of the InterACT programme to enhance behavioural change towards the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The programme, which uses interactive theatre to help young people to enquire into patterns of behaviour that could place them at risk of HIV infection, also aims at promoting behaviour change around gender and sexual relationships.

Mr Patrick Young, Project Coordinator of the Theatre for a Change (TFAC), a group carrying out the programme, had received a six-month training to enable the members to become interactive theatre facilitators for the InterACT programme.

He said participants were taken through script writing and could now devise stories based on their own experiences of issues relating to HIV/AIDS for interactive theatre.

"To climax the training, the group successfully held a five-day interactive theatre festival at the National Theatre, using 14 focus groups that they had formed during their outreach educational programmes," he said.

Mr Young said the performances at the festival were based directly on the experiences of over 240 young people aged between 12 and 24.

He thanked Action AID Ghana, the British Council and the National Theatre for supporting and sponsoring the programme.

Mr Peter Payne, Director, British Council, said mass education played a major role in HIV/AIDS prevention and called on individuals as well as the public to help prevent the further spread of the disease. He pledged the continuous support of the British Council for the programme. 18 June, 04