4 • MODULE EIGHT: PREVENTING AND LIVING WITH HIV
Directions:ACTIVITY ONE
The Immune System Dance- Introduce the session by finding out what the children know about HIV. This can be a short discussion
with the use of pictures. Based on the discussion, the facilitator can provide relevant information on:- What HIV means (Human Immunodeficiency Virus);
- HIV is a virus, like the one that produces the common cold, but is different because it
attacks our immune system. Explain briefly what the immune system is, that it protects us
from many illnesses and diseases. Make sure that the children understand that if we are
healthy, our immune system is strong, but if we are sick, do not eat the right food or rest,
our immune system can weaken; - Ensure that the children are aware that girls are at greater risk. Hence, they must protect
themselves and be supported by others; - Explain that you cannot know who has HIV by external appearance. Children should know
the difference between HIV and AIDS; and - A good example is that HIV is like termites eating up the house. For many years one may not
know they are in the house and what they are doing (just like HIV), but one day a sudden wind
blows strongly and the whole house collapses. Ask the group what made the house collapse,
the termites or the wind? Allow a few minutes of discussion and move on to the immune dance.
- Use labels or draw pictures and give them to each of the ‘actors.’ Make hats to make the dance
lively and fun. One or two children stand in the middle of a circle with the label “Immune System”
on them. They are dancing to music. Around them in a ring holding hands are the T cells. They
dance around the two children in the center, protecting them. Outside this T cell ring are some
Communicable Diseases such as a cold, tuberculosis and scabies, and they try to enter the ring
by tapping the T cells. The T cells say no, you cannot enter. The Communicable Diseases go away.
Now have a child with the label HIV try to enter the T cell. HIV is strong and enters the T cells.
Slowly T cells get weak and lie down. The children in the middle also feel weak and lie down. - Stop here and have a discussion on what has happened.
- The person becomes weak and the T cells are weak (slow the dance for some of them) or are
destroyed (they fall out of the circle). - The communicable diseases come back to attack; this time they face no resistance and attack
the person in the middle. The person in the middle falls down.
Experience from the field
‘We found that stopping the skit and then providing information using charts and posters was very
helpful. After the discussion, the dance was restarted. Messages about condoms (for children above 14)
and safe sex were provided through the posters. By making the dance simple and not overloaded with
information, children were able to understand better.’ (Vanchit Vikas, Pune)