World AIDS Day 2021

On the first of December World AIDS Day was celebrated in Nimule. This is held every year and is very close to the hearts of many because Nimule is one of the most seriously affected places in South Sudan. The main reasons for this are that Nimule is a stopover for many truck drivers coming from Uganda, who lodge in what amount to brothels, and also because polygamy is the traditional norm in all the local tribes. As families with HIV are the main target group for our school, Cece Primary School always takes part.

Primary 5 and Primary 6, our two highest classes, took part. This year our pupils surpassed themselves. By popular request they repeated a performance of a poem and song which we composed as a class exercise several years ago on the subject of the devastation caused by HIV. This was followed by a new song called ‘AIDS you are merciless’. Our school finished the day by performing a Madi traditional dance in the lyrics of which a girl is warned not to go to the disco because she can end up with HIV. This contribution was our first performance of a traditional dance. It was taught to the children by one of our new teachers, Habiba. Afterwards we were complimented by many people on how well our children had done. I have to say that I was very proud.

You may notice from the photos that the majority of performers were girls. I am finding that as adolescence hits our pupils, the boys have become very resistant to taking part in singing, dancing or drama. I was glad to see that this wears off. One of the secondary schools which took part produced a comedy drama about a schoolboy who went off the rails and ended up with HIV. The ratio of boys to girls was roughly equal. In spite of the subject matter, it really was very funny. Thank you all for making it possible for our children to go to school in the first place. All other schools in Nimule are fee-paying, with a lot of additional financial requirements as well. Our particular children, those from families with HIV, disabilities and orphans, are the least likely to be able to attend school under normal circumstances because these problems all create destitution.