HIV/AIDS and Youth: An African performance

This poem was performed by Penina Nafuye at an HIV/AIDS school club meeting in eastern Uganda. Bonny Norton (http://lerc.educ.ubc.ca/fac/norton), a professor at the University of British Columbia, Canada, videotaped the performance. Further information on language and literacy research in Africa can be found on www.renafrica.org. The words of the poem are as follows:

When preparing for a dance there are two choices
You either dance with a partner or you dance alone
If you dance alone that's fine.
But if you dance with a partner, my friend, there are two choices
You either have sex with her or you don't have sex with her
If you don't have sex with her, that's fine.
But if you have sex with her, my friend, there are two choices
You either have protected sex or unprotected sex.
If you have protected sex, that's fine.
But if you have unprotected sex, my friend, there are two choices.
You either get the virus or you don't get the virus
If you don't get the virus, that's fine
But if you get the virus, my friend, there is one choice,
That is death.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• HIV/AIDS
• Africa
• poem
• youth
• Penina
• Nafuye
• Bonny
• Norton

[ruizumoo]

THANK YOU! This is one of the clearest, most beautiful poems I have seen. I, too, will share this with my university students as it is appropriate for all levels.

[mitsmurphey]

Thanks Penina! Thanks Bonny! This will make a difference!

[marchelgesen]

This is really powerful. I'm going to share it with my university students.