LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA 5•
Variation
When the person in the middle drops down after the diseases attack, three persons with paper
stuck on them with drawings of food, rest, feeling happy, or ARV could come and greet the
surviving T cells. The T cells look a little less depressed and dance a bit more although not with
the same vigor they had when they were not infected. The person in the middle looks a bit better.
Have the diseases come back, they are strong but the few T cells left manage to drive them away
although they do not go too far. Remember, the HIV becomes weaker as the ARV and others get
stronger but HIV never leaves the body.Variation
This dance can be made more interactive by freezing the scenes such as when the diseases
come to attack and asking the audience what happens next.Variation for a skit
This can be performed as a street play or as an awareness activity in schools and institutions.
Begin by drawing a circle on the ground and calling it OUR BODY. The children stand in the circle,
place their hands one on one and push or hold hands depending on whether the virus is being
pushed out or stays in the body. If the HIV virus is in the body, it might be suppressed because of
the ARV, in which case the child who is the HIV Virus may remain in the body circle but sits down.
Provide the following scenarios:
In pairs, children describe what could happen in the body with:
a) Common cold virus and white blood cell (the white blood cell ‘pushes’ out the common
cold virus);
b) HIV virus and white blood cell (the white blood cell cannot ‘push’ the HIV virus out; the
children hold hands).
In group of threes, children describe what could happen in the body with:
c) HIV virus, white blood cell and a TB infection (the white blood cell tries to push out the TB
infection but fails and all three children ‘join’ hands);
d) HIV virus, white blood cell and ARV (the ARV tries to ‘push’ the HIV virus with the help of the
white blood cell and the HIV virus ‘sits’ down in the body circle, and is less powerful).
Discuss how good health, nutrition and taking medicine regularly are important in each of the
above scenarios.