LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA 7•
Experience from the field
Facilitator used the example of termites eating wood away from inside or ants eating groundnuts from
inside to explain how the virus works in the human body. (SEEDS, Guntur).
A warm-up can be used such as a Wild Fire game where the palm of a person is scratched during
a handshake.
Adaptation (for children above 14 years) (PCI): The activity started with a warm-up. The children
stood in a circle holding hands. Four children had been privately instructed to pinch or “give an injection”
to another child while holding hands. Then the facilitator called for the children who had been pinched to
come into the center of the circle. This can be repeated if the number of children in the group is large and
more children are needed for the rest of the activity.
The immune system dance was adapted because the place was small, restricting movement of children.
There was no music system (for children above 14). The facilitator prepared chart paper cut outs of a
condom hat, arrows to identify white blood cells, disease hats (malaria, HIV, fever, cough, TB, etc), figures
of girls and boys. Each “pinched” child is given one of these roles. “Disease” children stand in one corner,
“white blood cell” children stand in another corner. Three couples are selected. The first couple comes in
the center and does a dance of having sex. During the dance, the boy puts his condom hat on to show that
the condom is being used during the intercourse.
The second couple comes in, in which the girl demands that the condom hat be put on during the sexual
dance but the boy pretends not to have it or searches for excuses, showing that a condom was not used
during intercourse. They dance and move away.
The third couple comes in; the boy propositions the girl to dance the sexual dance. The girl thinks about it
and refuses.
Next, the “white blood cell” children form a circle and the “disease” children form a circle around them.
The aim of the disease children is to go through the white blood cell children.
Again, the first couple comes into the circle. One of the diseases tries to enter the circle and touch the
couple. The girl or the boy get touched but continue and enjoy dancing because the disease did not affect
them as they had used a condom. The second couple comes into the circle, but this time all the diseases
are able to break through the “white blood cells” and touch the couple. The girl and the boy show sickness
through their movements. Then the third couple comes in, one or two of the diseases get through and
touch the couple, but the couples that are faithful are immediately cured because of the white blood cells.
Other diseases are not allowed to come through.Tips for the facilitators- The dance makes an excellent street play. Children can play this game with their friends.
- The above can be further adapted to include effects of abstinence and being faithful.
Children’s Voices - “I felt important because so many friends were protecting me.”
- “I desperately wanted to protect my friend and did not allow anyone to break the circle and come
in.” (WINS, Tirupati). - “I can help infected people with HIV and not hate them.” (Salaam Baalak Trust, Delhi).