Writing a story or a scenario for a short film on HIV is not a five-minute exercise. It takes plenty of time and lots of thinking. It gives participants an opportunity to formulate their thoughts and express their feelings so as to establish a certain level of clarity for themselves. It also allows them to personalize the epidemic and situate it within a variety of circumstances which they themselves may some day encounter. This leaves them better armed for the future.
Taboos pertaining to death and sexuality often make it impossible even to start such a discussion.
The Scenarios contest is a welcome pretext for young people to ask the questions they have been wanting to ask for so long, and it gives parents a certain amount of cover and room to maneuver in answering those questions. This allows them to avoid embarrassing or incriminating themselves. We strongly recommend that you organize the contest in such a way as to encourage young people to work in teams. That meant that young people were talking with one another about their perspectives on the epidemic, their concerns, and the strategies they envisage to protect themselves. They were building consensus on appropriate behavior and developing communication skills.