By Ranjana Narayan
New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) A “Bunti Aur Babli” visual trick game, a ‘jadoo’ photograph that changes colour and a chaupal dice game — these are all part of a massive initiative to inculcate awareness about HIV/AIDS among villagers in a fun way. And it is showing results.
The initiative, launched by the central government’s National Literacy Mission in tandem with the Unesco, involves tactful weaving in of facts on HIV/AIDS and women’s empowerment through games during adult literacy classes in rural areas.
“The idea is to engage the people in lively discussions on HIV/AIDS through games. The games help conquer the initial shyness of people on the subject and encourage them to ask questions and learn facts about HIV,” Shankar Choudhary, programme officer of the HIV/AIDS department of Unesco here, told IANS.
Demonstrating the “Bunty Aur Babli” game, he shows how the simple and innovative method, consisting of two curved plastic pieces placed side by side with the pictures of a man on one and a woman on the other, helps people in realising that a man (Bunty) is thought to be bigger and superior because people are conditioned to think so. When Babli’s picture is placed on the left, she appears bigger.
“People in rural areas relate very quickly to the game. We introduce discussions on topics like why should a woman be considered inferior, her role in home building and on the need for men to be faithful,” said Choudhary.
The games, as well as easy-to-read storybooks, have been included in the kit of instructors of the Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) who impart vocational training as well as the State Resource Centre (SRC) who conduct literacy classes in the rural areas as part of the National Literacy Mission.
The chaupal game has questions on HIV/AIDS with every throw of the dice, which the participating groups have to answer correctly to be allowed to move forward on the chequered board. The magical photograph is a black-and-white drawing of a group – a worker, a doctor, a young man, a woman, housewife, and a well-heeled person. With a flip of the back panel, the instructor changes the photograph into colour. The aim is to drive home the point that everyone falls in the risk category unless they take care.
According to Choudhary, JSS instructors — who teach vocational skills like radio repairing, mobile repairing and tailoring to young people — include the games and books in their syllabus.
“Much also depends on the instructor’s skills of communication and how lively they make the discussion. We are going to introduce it all over the country. The response has been very good,” he said.
Vandana Jena, director of the National Literacy Mission, said the games act like “ice breakers”.
“HIV/AIDS is a huge problem where prevention is the only solution. It is not socially acceptable to talk on the subject. Games help break the ice. People begin discussing the subject a lot through the games and their reservations are removed,” Jena told IANS.
“More importantly, the discussions have helped remove the feeling among people that those who indulge in risky behaviour get what they deserve.
“It is necessary to educate the high risk group, but what about the rest of the population? This is where the JSS and SRC workers come in and they have done a wonderful job,” Jena added.
There are 52 JSSs working on the initiative and 28 SRCs. “We have involved the more experienced JSSs and SRCs in the initiative. They work in the more vulnerable states. In the south, there is more awareness about HIV/AIDS, but in the Hindi heartland it is low,” she said.
Chaudhary said Unesco is also planning to include AIDS affected people as resource persons in the initiative because when such people talk of their experience, it will have more impact.
Says Chaudhary: “The faces of the HIV/AIDS epidemic today are young women. Around 70 to 80 percent get it from unfaithful partners or husbands who are migrant workers. So to get across our message to people it is necessary for a convergence between education and health.”