Hwange group embarks on cholera campaign

Standard Style
Vulindlela Theatre Company based in Hwange, Matabeleland North province, has embarked on an edutainment production to generate awareness among people who bear the brunt of cholera.

Vulindlela Theatre Company based in Hwange, Matabeleland North province, has embarked on an edutainment production to generate awareness among people who bear the brunt of cholera.

BY SHARON SIBINDI

The group’s director Michael Kanyika told The Standard Style that they had embarked on a disaster response and cholera awareness programme through music, songs and comic theatre, actively involving the audience to increase the effectiveness of the messages.

The programme targets Hwange and surrounding areas.

“We have embarked on this programme and we want to cover areas in Hwange, mostly rural areas. This is an edutainment production and we are presenting a drama titled Be Warned! Cholera Kills, which carries a powerful message to the community,” he said.

Kanyika said the programme was influenced by a cholera outbreak in Livingstone, Zambia, which is only a stone’s throw from Hwange.

“There was a cholera outbreak in Livingstone, which is just close to us. A lot of Zambians come into the country selling wares and we decided to embark on this campaign to try to educate people about cholera so that when they come across our brothers and sisters from Zambia they know what to do,” he said.

“Our aim is to educate the community, especially on preventing cholera.”

The campaign, which started last Tuesday, will see the group reaching all corners of the district. However, Kanyika said for the group to meet their target they need funding.

Recently the group intensified efforts to turn Matabeleland North into an arts and cultural hub through their initiatives which are meant to spread arts throughout the province’s primary and secondary schools.