22 • MODULE EIGHT: PREVENTING AND LIVING WITH HIV
- Ask the children to choose which boat they feel they would like to get into. Remember to tell
them that they can change the boat any time they like. They must remember to stay on the
boat and not to get into the water. An example could be as follows: Let’s suppose that because
of our religious beliefs or cultural beliefs we are in the abstinence and faithfulness boats all the
time. But circumstances may change so that it may be difficult to stay on those boats. Then we
must have a condom boat; otherwise we will fall into the water, which is dangerous. - If the earlier sessions have been completed, the children would know how HIV/AIDS is
transmitted through several routes. You could still have a trial run so that the children
understand the exercise.
Place one cardboard figure each of a man and a woman in the abstinence boat. They have just
met. They had been in the water but now they are in the boat. Ask the children if these two
people will stay on the boat if any of the following things happen:
Share a cup of tea (totally safe);
Hold hands (totally safe);
Falling in love, decide to marry (totally safe);
Kiss (very safe unless they have sores in the mouth);
Have sex using a condom (change to condom boat. Very safe if the condom is used properly); and
Have sex without condom (very unsafe. They go into the water, head first with feet sticking up- bring humor, it adds impact).
- Take the cardboard character of a pregnant woman or a woman carrying a baby. Where would
she go? (The baby has a two out of three chance to be without HIV). - Introduce the characters in the community and give each of the children one character
(except the young man). Give each child a different character from who they are, e.g., a girl
gets a boy character and a boy gets a girl cutout. - Ask the children to give their cutouts a name, introduce who they are, a little bit of their lives
and why they are in a particular boat. Ask each child: Why is the person on that boat? How does
s/he feel? Does s/he have problems? Would s/he have to shift to another boat? Why and
when? How can we help this person deal with the issues and problems they may be facing? - Explain why people sometimes change boats.
10.The Story Continues
Show the cutout of a young man. Say this man has been faithful to his wife but now he has to
go to a big city for work. He is on the abstinence boat. He is away many months. He misses his
wife and one day goes out with his friends for a drink. He meets someone or (goes to a sex
worker). If he decides to have sex with her, he must get on the condom boat; otherwise he will
take a dive in the water.
If you cannot stay on the boat you are in, change boats but make sure you are out of the water.