Educational Theater

Educational theatre was chosen as the vehicle for this program due to its efficacy in the South African/ African context. In the words of our very own “chief”, CEO of Health Promotion South Africa.

George Arrey: “In Africa, oral tradition is a longstanding method of passing
vital information in the community. In those days and even now, especially in the rural areas, whenever the king/chief and his kinsmen find an issue crucial and think it should be communicated with the utmost urgency that it deserves, they will send a town/ village crier to gather the villagers in a specifically chosen location to inform them of this issue through storytelling.

The problem or issue in question usually involves one of moral values, mainly to correct a behavior, change an attitude, enforce a law or get the people to comply with chiefdom rules and regulations, or any other subject for that matter. And, the story told to convey the message is usually in the form of a fable.

Africans understand a lesson better when taught through this means.” In addition, a multitude of scientific research has also documented the effectiveness of educational theatre on behavioral change in African contexts.

The Health Promoters Educational Thetaer.
From right to left; Mhlangabezi Richard Mashiya, Lelethu Zulu, Sibongiseni Wani and Sive Ngwexana. Standing right: George Arrey