Africa Media Review Vol. I, No. 3. 1987 ©African Council on Communication Education Theatre Development in Sierra Leone A study of Care's Project Learn by David H. Malamah-Thomas Abstract This paper discusses the role of theatre in development. It starts off by summarizing the history of theatre in Sierra Leone. Then it gives a fairly detailed account of the activities of CARE's LEARN project in which theatre techniques were employed to create the necessary awareness for development among Sierra Leonians. It admits that though the approach used by LEARN in this project was not more truly participatory, it achieved noteworthy success in the areas of nutrition, sanitation and maternal childhealth care. Resume \ Cet article traite du role du theare dans le developpement. II commence par donner un resume" de l'histoire du theatre en Sierra Leone. Ensuite, il donne un compte rendu tres detaille des activites du project Learn de CARE qui utilise les techniques du theatre pour creer une prise de conscience necessaire pour le developpement parmi les Sierra-Leonais. II admet que, quoique l'approche utilisee par Learn dans ce project ne soit pas vraiment parti- cipative, il a cependant atteint un succes notable dans les domaines de la nutrition, de la sante et des soins maternels et infantiles. Mr. David Malamah-Thomas is Acting Director, Institute of Adult Kducation & Extra Mural Studies, Fourah Bay College University of Sierra Leone. 81 /. Introduction The Government of Sierra Leone and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), national as well as international, have embarked with varying degrees of success on community and rural development programmes aimed at imp- roving the quality of life of the rural masses. Some have exploited the country's rich dramatic traditions and have used the indigenous performing arts espe- cially drama for education and conscientization and for the dissemination of development messages and information. 2. Popular Theatre in Africa, 1950-1980 Though relatively new in Sierra Leone, Popular/Participatory Theatre/Theatre for Development has been experimented with in many African countries over the past 3 decades. In the 1950s, Theatre for Development experiments were conducted in Ghana and Uganda by the Colonial governments as pressure built up for the dawn" of independence. In the 1960s, the "travelling theatre" pro- jects of the Universities of Ibadan, Makerere, Nairobi, Zomba, Lusaka and Yaounde emerged. 1 Groups of university students and tutors took plays depic- ting the TRADITION/MODERNIZATION conflict to rural .villages and urban squatter areas as a form of "cultural democratization" . A third type chara- cterised the 1970s, thanks to experiments in Botswana which centre the annual festival LAEDZA BATANANI (Wake Up.Let's come together and work toge- ther). It was to provide an occasion when the community was drawn together to critically understand and assess their situation and to discuss what might be done about it. The dramatization of local issues after research and identification of villa- gers' problems, was used to communicate these issues in a way which people could comprehend. Post-performance discussions facilitated a process of com- munity education and action.-3 To make theatre truly participatory, functional and a catalyst for collective community action, the Theatre Collective of Nigeria's Ahmadu Bello Univer- sity involved the villagers throughout the process from information/data collect- ion to the follow-up action.4 The former "objects" of an externally-controlled research process in a top-down (monological or one-way) communication became "subjects" in a dialogical participatory research (PR) process (See pages 10-12). Today, Theatre for Development in its various methods have beenidentified by many Third World countries as a two-way communication process and is perhaps the most efficacious instrument for conscientizing and enabling the masses and for propagating development information using the folk media and the people's language and idiom-* and effectively dealing with the prob- lems of direct relevance to the people's socio-economic realities. 82 3. Theatre in Sierra Leone Upto 1970s In Sierra Leone, dramatic activity started well before the advent of colo- nialism. Western education and training brought in their trail a new drama, an elitist drama, "high theatre," the focus of which was and still is the creation of empathy between actor and spectator around themes of emotion and laugh- ter." After political Independence in 1961, dramatists in Sierra Leona were pre- occupied in Sierra Leonising the theatre with the establishment of the National Theatre League in 1964. In the early 1970s, playwrights began using the count- ry's lingua franca, Krio, as the theatrical communication medium. Besides, during the 1970s, playwrights like Pat Amadu Maddy and K.John Kargbo, following in the wake of Nigeria's Wole Soyinka and Kenya's Ngugi wa Thiong'o, increasingly earned the disfavourof Government with their socio-economic plays depicting the corrupt and unjust political situation. This directly led to the imposition of Government censorship on play in 1979.8 The 1980s have witnessed the mushrooming of theatre groups in Freetown (estimates have it that they now number over 50) and a plethora of dramatizations which have made the theatre look like a common market where playwrights frenzily and breathlessly rush for quick profit and even to profiteer with the consequent alarming drop in theatrical standards. 4. Theatre for Development in Sierra Leone Popular/People's Theatre/Theatre for Development was introduced in Sierra Leone towards the late 1970s. The Planned Parenthood Association (PPA) and the Plan International of Sierra Leone and health educators in provincial hospitals in the Eastern Province used drama and other folk media for adult education and for disseminating their family planning and primary health care messages. CARE's Project LEARN (Local Educational Activities for Rural Networks) also experienced with drama to spread its messages in agriculture, health, nutri- tion and sanitation. The limitation of all those "experiments" was that the prog- ramme beneficiaries were entirely left out in the identification and analysis of their own problems and so become passive listeners/objects and recipients of sloganistic messages. 5. Project Learn Project LEARN was sponsored jointly by the Government of Sierra Leone and CARE, the former providing the personnel while the latter finance, resource materials, transportation etc. It was launched in 1979 and phased out in 1983. 83 CARE started operations after the 2nd World War as a relief aid agency, to war-shattered and war-weary European countries. Today, CARE's activities are worldwide and it rushes emergency aid to victims of natural disaster such as earthquakes, drought and floods. It also provides food, clothing and shelter and medical supplies to recipient countries. CARE came to Sierra Leone in 1961 and its first major programme was a feeding programme for schools and hospitals which started in 1962 and conti- nued till 1977. It was discontinued when it was realised that most of the food items did not reach the beneficiaries they were meant for. However, CARE has in partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone continued its develop- ment activities such as construction of feeder roads in the East and the South, wells and pit latrines all over the country. The idea of using folk media — drama, dancing, music and singing — together with visual aids for entertainment and to initiate a process of conscientization and adult education for local-level community development was first mooted in 1977 in response to requests from development and extension workers for new ways of reaching the villagers with their development messages to enable them to maintain good health, improve their productivity and personal and environmental sanitation. Conscientization here refers to a gradual learning process in which people look critically at their socio-economic realities in order to gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of their problems. People can engage in this enabling process through dialogue or group discussions stimu- lated by key (generative) words, pictures, stories or dramatisations on pressing community problems. Conscientization is predicated on the promise that with an increased critical understanding of their social and economic situation, peo- peole can gain control over their lives and thus their ability to effect positive changes to ameliorate the quality of their lives." The LEARN Resource kits contained among others a series of 15 taped dra- matised stories mostly 15-20 minutes and consisted of 4 or 5 scenes,^ which featured the experiences of a typical farm family. Each story was based on an actual village situation and some of the dramas showed ways in which problems could be solved while other problems remained unsolved to encourage the listeners, the programme beneficiaries, to work out their own solutions. Each drama was recorded in Mende and Temne, the 2 major languages of the oper- ational districts, Pujehun in the Sotu and Portloko in the North. Poject LEARN brought together village development workers from various Government Minist- ries concerned with community and Rural Development like Agriculture, Health, Social Welfare and Rural Development and Interior. Village partici- pants were selected for the interest, motivation and commitment to village development while the selected developments and extension workers were trained to use the LEARN Resource materials - the dramatised tapes, an Instru- ctor's Manual, a "Gongoli" poster, a flipchart, a tape recorder and a Discussion Guide - designed to bring health education to all villagers, young as well as old, educated and non-educated alike. 84 6. Learn's Objectives Among the many objectives of Project LEARN, the following are perhaps significant. Health/ Sanitation 1. To get rural people to change their personal and social habits and beliefs so as to prevent and control ill-health. 2. To enable the rural people to appreciate the value of health care by help- ing them to develop awareness of their own capabilities for contributing to healthy living. 3. To inform and assist them to make use of simple hygenic latrines. 4. To provide adequate supply of safe drinking water and basic sanitation and to promote community and personal hygiene. 5. To enable the people to eradicate disease vectors from their environment and engage in community disease control campaigns. Agriculture 1. To enable learners to know modern methods of farming and appreciate the value of improved but simple agricultural techniques. 2. To assist people to value and utilize vegetable gardens as well as improved agricultural practices for storage, consumption and sale. Nutrition 1. To demonstrate and assist the people to prepare a balanced diet for child- ren, adults, pregnant women and the sick. 2. To educate and assist families in utilizing home-grown food for balanced diet. 3. To assist families to appreciate and value nutrition by helping them understand the interrelationship between balanced diet and healthy living. Self-Reliancel Community Development 1. To encourage people to use their own resources and initiative to improve their living conditions. 2. To assist them to make the best of their potentialities and human resour- ces by helping them to appreciate and practise an integrated approach to improve their living conditions.. M 85 7. Identification of Village Problems The Project's Advisory Committee (PAC) comprising representatives from Government Ministeries and Departments, the University of Sierra Leone and NGOs requested village representatives to identify some of their pressing prob- lems which could be solved mainly by village participation and resources e.g. the construction of pit latrines and wells to improve their health status. 15 problems were identified on which dramas were made, namely, cup and spoon feeding, clean water, wells, tuberculosis, pregnancy, transplanting rice, rice storage, measles, malaria, sanitation and latrines, composting, first aid, feeding infants and toddlers and tetanus. The dramatised stories were acted by the BONDOKALI Theatre and taped by the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service for use by development workers. 8. Use of Learn Resource Kit When a development worker arrived at a village, he called on the chief, des- cribed the project and requested his support in implementing the project. Together with the chief, he identified the 3 members of the villager's LEARN committee including himself, usually as a chairman. Then he described the Pro- ject to the Committee, played the project's Theme Song, Sickness Nor Go Ebul We (Sickness cannot overcome us); (Appendix 1) showed them the GO- NGOLI mask, (Appendix 2) LEARN's symbol which to Sierra Leoneans repre- sents good humour, fun and entertainment. The worker then demonstrated by playing one of the dramatised stories to the committee. Assisted by the members he formed a LEARN Discussion Group comprising the 3 Committee members and 22 villagers consisting of both men and women. The venue, conduct of meet- ings and other logistics were later agreed upon. Elaborate hints for the prepa- ration of lessons and how to lend discussions groups were finally dished out to the development worker (Appendix 3). 9. Impact of Project If the reports and expressed views in LEARN's newsletters are anything to go by, some of LEARN's objectives were achieved and had visible impact on the project areas and populations. The impact was mainly in the areas of personal hygiene, environmental sanitation and maternal and childhealth care. There is unmistakable evidence that the project beneficiaries changed their negative and superstitious beliefs with regard to the causes of diseases like malaria, bilharzia and tetanus. For example, they learnt that malaria was caused by mosquitoes and not by eating plenty of burnt oil, oranges and overdrinking beer. They then inculcated the habit of drinking anti-malaria tablets and clean- ing their environment. The villagers became aware of killer diseases like tuber- culosis, measles and tetanus and were taught methods to prevent them and to 86 treat their symptoms. They became aware of the advantages of cup or spoon feeding over handfeeding. Also that breastmilk is good for babies and when a baby is 4 months old, foods like mashed fruits, pounded fish, eggs, beans etc. should be added to its food to make it more nutritious. Before the project, the villagers urinated and 'defected in rivers, streams, swaps and even in and around their compounds. Less 11 on Sanitation and Latrines sensitised the people to the health hazards of such malpractices and to the benefits of constr- ucting and using simple pit latrines. Some self-help community development activities promoted by the LEARN lessons and ensuing discussions were digging of communal and individual wells, building of community stores, cultivation of vegetable gardens and learning simple gardening techniques such as trans- planting and composting. Lastly, but equally important, the Project LEARN promoted coordination and collaborating among governmental and non-govern- mental organisations. 10. Project Learn -A Participatory Research Process? Participatory Research (PR) arose in the context of questioning such basic research issues as the relationship between the purposes and consequences of the means and ends of social research, the implications and results of using the conventional and traditional social science methodologies, the relationship between the purposes and consequences of the means and ends of social resea- rch, the implications and results of using the conventional and traditional social science methodologies, the relationship between the researcher and the researched, neutrality, subjectivity and objectivity. The basic objective of participatory research is the progressive social change for the betterment and liberation (viewed as the equivalent of development) of the oppressed and marginalised peoples. "Participatory research is a tool which oppressed people can use to begin to take control of the economic and political forces which affect their lives."*^ The following broad features characterise participatory research. (a) Subjective commitment of the part of the researcher to the researched is vitally essential. (b) The researcher is perceived as a participatory social actor/change agent who must combine his critical insight and knowledge with the "native intelligence" and resources of the programme beneficiaries to trigger new and increased awareness of the contradictions in their socio-economic realities and devising appropriate strategies to solve them. (c) The approach is problem-oriented. Research is perceived not as mere information/data collection, the result of which can be acted upon by others, the policy makers. Rather, the fundamental objective of social research is to understand the conditions underlying the problems in order to solve them by transforming the conditions. 87 (d) The research process is conceived as an educational process for the rese- archer and researched alike. The close and active interaction between them predicated on dialogue and discussion is ultimately aimed at positive action towards the solution of the socio-economic contradictions. (e) The research demands respect for the people's own capabilities and pot- entials to produce knowledge and to analyse it. Knowledge Creation as being the monopoly of the professional researchers alone, as commonly practised by conventional researchers, is manifestly challenged by the participatory research approach. In short, participatory research has been described as a "three-pronged acti- vity: an approach to social investigation with the full and active participation of the community in the ENTIRE research process; a means of taking action for development, and an educational process of mobilization for development: all of which are closely interwoven with each other."'^ In the light of the above, it can be seen that LEARN's process using Theatre for Development was not altogether a truly participatory research process. Right from the start, the project beneficiaries, the researched, were secondary in the planning and implemention stages. They were "objects" not "subjects" of their development process. Although the dramatised stories depicted the real socio-economic realities of the villagers, using popular idiom and language, yet the project programmers adopted Everett Rogers' euphemism ITYTWIT "I Think that You Think What I Think" 15 No doubt, the LEARN process was problem-posing, problem-solving and succe- ed in conscientizing and educating the beneficiaries mainly in the areas of nut- rition, sanitation and maternal child'health care.The lesson of the project LE- ARN is that if development programmes are woven into the social-cultural life of the beneficiaries, they can involve, entertain, instruct and inform. References 1. H.N. Eyoh, "Hammocks to Bridges." Report of the Workshop on Theatre for Inte- grated Rural Development, Kumba, Cameroun, lst-16th December, 1984,Cameroun, 1986,p.19. 2. Ross Kidd, From People's Theatre for Revolution to Popular Theatre for Reconstr- uction: Diary of a Zimbabwean Workshop." CESO, The Hague, May, 1984. p.5. 88 3. Ross Kidd and Martin L. Byram, "Encouraging Participation in Development," Commonwealth Conference on Non-Formal Education and Development, New Delhi, 22nd January-2nd February, 1979. 4. Ross Kidd, 1984 op. cit. p.6. cf. S. Ruppa, "Popular Theatre for Adult Education, Community Action and Social Charge" in Convergence Vol. XIV, No. 2, 1981, pp. 24-35. 5. Ross Kidd, "Popular Theatre as a Tool for Community Action," Assignment Child- ren UNICEF, No. 44, October-December, 1978, pp.37-38. 6. Dickson Mwansa, "Theatre as a Tool' for Communication." IFDA Dossier 42, July/ August, 1984, p.24. 7. Michael Etherton, "The Development of African Drama "Hutchinson University Library for Africa," 1982, pp.314ff. 8. 9. Frederick B. James, "Theatre: How can it be used as a Strategy for Rural Develop- ment in Sierra Leone," Project dissertation for the award of Diploma in Adult Education, Institute of Adult Education and Extra-Mural Studies, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, 1986, p'.18. For a discussion see, D.H. Malamah-Thomas, "The Basic Needs Approach to Deve- lopment - A Study of the SARVODAYA SHRAMADANA Movement in Sri Lanka," Fourah Bay College Library, 1984, p.7. See also, KEES P. Epskamp, "Training Popular Theatre Trainers: A Case Study of Nigeria," NFE Information Centre, Occasional paper 10, 1982, p.l. 10. Project LEARN, Health Education Dramas 11-15, Care/GOSL 1982. 11. S.A.T. Tamu, "Folk Media, Theatre for Development and Non-Formal Education: A Case Study of CARE's Project LEARN in the Pujehun District," Project dissert- ation for the award of the Diploma in Adult Education, Institute of Adult Edu- cation and Extra-Mural Studies, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, 1985,pp.21-23. 12. S.A.T.Tamu, Op.cit. pp.71ff. 13. SARILAKAS, a quarterly bulletin of the PROCESS FOUNDATION METROMA- NILA, PHILIPPINES, Vol. No. 1, 1st Quarter 1986. 14. Research for the People, Research by the People, Selected Papers for the Interna- tional Forum on Participatory Research in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, 1980, p.64. 15. Quoted in Kabwe Kasoma, "Participatory Communication and Development," Journal of Adult Education, Centre for Continuing Education, University of Zambia, Vol. 2, No. 1, August, 1983,p.47. 89 Appendix I Project "Learn" Theme Song (KRIO) "Sickness Nor Go Ebul We " 1 We broda en we sista dem Una all kam togedda For Join mek we mek good life Bikus E go gee we well bodi. Na im mek are wan mek we sing Bot well bodi en good life. If we all dae think bot dat Sickness no go ebul we. 3 Yu for mek vegetabul gardin Wey yu Ian ow for mek di manure. Yu for trai mek yu yone fam Agriculture na fine tin. We for gee we pikin dem yam Wey go mek pikin dem grow fine yam, en strong Lik res paap wit mass banana, grain granat, fish, pamine or grain binch. Wass yu iya tu tern for wik Klin yu tit every monin Plenti sick wey we kin de sick Na we sef we mak we sick. Klin way go gee we well bodi If" we all mek we village klin Klose klin, pikin klin,chopklin, Sickness no go ebul we. For gee yu babi wata mek et drink, Yu get for boil di wata. Wey we want for fid deh babi We for trai en klin all tinks: Lek di chop, spoon or cup. We di babi nor go choke or koff If we du so for di babi en we sef, Sickness no go ebul we Wey yu wan for yeat yu for wass yu han Yu wey de cook am, yu sef for klin. If yu de na village wata bisness tranga Yu for dig good wata well. Yu for always wass yu close klin sidom Wey yu pred matta yu babi If yu am na di empti gron Dat go mek yu babi sick. Chorus Dis sing na for we village, For all man na dem village, Watin we all go do togedda Na im go mek we village strong. 90 English Version .. "Sickness cannot overcome us" i Our brothers and our sisters Let us all come together We must join to make a good life. Because it will make us healthy. It makes me want to sing About health and good life. If we all think about that, Sickness will not overcome us. You should make a vegetable garden Where you can learn how to make the manure. You can try to make your family farm, Agriculture is a good thing. We should give our children Like rice pap with mashed banana, groundnuts, fish or ground leaves. To make them grow good and good food strong. You must give your baby water to drink. You should boil the water That we want to give the baby. We should try to clean everything, Like the plate, spoon or cup So the baby will not choke or cough. If we do all this for the baby and ourselves, Sickness will not overcome us. When you want to eat, you must wash your hands. If you cook, you should clean yourself. If you are in a village with a water problem, You could dig a water well. You should always wash your clothes clean. You should always use a mat to put your child on. If you put him on the bare ground, It will make your baby sick Wash your hair two times every week. Clean your teeth every morning. Many diseases that make us sick, its ourselves that bring them on. Cleanliness will give us health. If we can all make our villages clean, our clothes, our children, our food clean, sickness will not overcome us. Chorus This song together, that will make our village strong. is for our village, for everyone in the village. Whatever we all do 91 Appendix 2 Using the Learn Resource Kit in the Village Notes for Learn Workers 1. Meet with the Chief: -Describe the Project and ask for his or her support. —Decide who will be the 3 members of your LEARN Committee. -Ask the Chief if he or she will serve as the Committee Chairperson. 2. Meet with the LEARN Committee: -Describe the Project, play the theme song, show the gongoli mask and demonstrate by playing one of the stories. —Have the Committee members help you talk to important individuals in the village to gain their support for the Project. -Ask the Committee to assist you in starting a LEARN Discussion Group in the village. They can help you decide: WHO — Select 22 villagers who wish to join the LEARN Discussion Group. Be sure to include both men and women. With your 3 Committee members the LEARN group will have 25 members. (If you find that all 25 members cannot hear the stories at one time, you may have to make your group smaller). PLACE- Where to meet and how to arrange the room so everyone can hear and participate^ HOW -the meetings should be announced. 3. During the LEARN Group Discussions, your Committee Members can: —Record the names of the group members on the green ATTENDANCE SHEET and keep the Attendance record. —Help gather the group members for the meetings. -Set up the room for each meeting. —Take notes of any actions the group decides upon. —Work with you, the other group members and the whole village on follow- up activities. 92 Preparing a Learn Lesson in the Village 1. BEFORE EACH MEETING listen again to the taped story you will be playing and read the Discussion Guide for that story carefully. This will help you plan an effective discussion. 2. REVIEW THE LEARNING POINTS FOR THE STORY, these points are the objectives for each lesson. At the end of your LEARN meeting, the members of your group should understand each of the points completely. The LEARNING points are to help you focus your discussion and know what points to stress. 3. REHEARSE ANY DEMONSTRATIONS you plan on giving during the meeting. Make sure you have all the materials you need to do the demon- stration ready. 4. CHECK OUT LOCAL RESOURCES that are relevant to the story. Bring the information to your Discussion Group. For example, when you play "Jatu (Fatu) has her First Baby," you can find out when and where the MCH clinics are held in your area and what immunizations are readily available. 5. THINK ABOUT ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES to involve the villagers in. Helpful Hints of Leading a Learn Discussion Group 1. TIMING is important. Have an idea how long you think the group meeting should last. Unless you are having a very lively discussion, try not to let it run too long. People lose their ability to concentrate and cannot spare the time if the meetings are very long. Remember, you want people to enjoy themselves during the meetings so they will want to return again and again to hear the next new story. 2. PRESENT RULES FOR DISCUSSION at the very beginning. For example: —Only one person should speak at a time. —Only funny stories, not people should be laughed at. —Group members should agree to come on time so meetings start and end on time. 93 —Comments that do not relate to the subject of the story should be kept for discussion at another time. (Committee members can help you to remind people of this if this discussion starts to wander off the subject). 3. DISUCSSION GUIDE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS are there only to guide you. Do not feel you must use all of the questions. The answers that are given in the guides may be different from what the villagers answer. Giver your group time to come up with the answers themselves. Encourage each group member to participate by stating his or her own views, thoughts and experiences on the subject being discussed. People learn best when they feel involved and have a chance to express themselves fully. Don't forget to let the women in your group have their say! 4. LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY to what the group members say. Villagers have lots of experiences and wisdom from which we can all learn. Being a good listener is a lot harder than being a good talker! 5. LOOK FOR THE SILENTLEADERS in your group. Encourage them to take an active role in the discussions. Groups identify and follow their own leaders. If you indirectly help this to happen, your job will be a lot easier. 6. FOLLOW-UP ON THE DISCUSSIONS by reminding people of what was talked about or decided upon in previous discussions. Repetition helps people learn. For the same reason it is important to review the LEARNING points at the end of each lesson. Project LEARN CARE/Sierra Leone March, 1981. 94