Look-Out Hill came alive with song and dance last weekend as young people gathered to eliminate the element of surprise and Scrutinize!

Khayelitsha is a partially informal township, yet one of the biggest in South Africa and is located right on the outskirts of Cape Town. The Western Cape Department of Health in partnership with Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa (JHHESA), Durban based DramAide and local NGO – Partners in Social Health hosted the Scrutinize Training and Mini Event.

This event saw the training of 250 peer educators, who came from fifteen different schools in the township, on Scrutinize within the space of two days. The training was based on the Scrutinize campaign messaging which focuses on the behaviours which place young people at risk of HIV infection, using song, dance, drama, paintings and other forms of entertainment education. This training aimed to equip the peer educators with skills and tools which they will use to engage their friends and peers in an effort to reduce new HIV infections.

Animerts (Animated advert) with different HIV messaging were played on screens, including ‘Booza Brain’ (Alcohol and HIV), ‘Sugar Surprise’ (Transactional Sex), ‘Makhwapheni’ (Undercover Lovers), ‘Drive Slowly’ (Delay Debut) and ‘Condomwise.’ At the end of each advert played, the messaging of the advert was played out in a Mini drama, conducted by DramAide facilitators who use these methodologies to critically engage young people to communicate effectively about issues relating to sex, also at the same time creating dialogue with the students as they participated in the Scrutinize “High Risk – Low Risk” games.

One of the Animerts that stood out and created a lot of hype with the students was the ‘Booza Brain’. The screening of this advert was followed with loud laughs and simultaneous comments as students shouted out the campaign slogan “Flip HIV to HI Victoryeee” in unison. As further engagements were done with the students, it was clear that they identify Alcohol and Sex as “High Risk”, as the actions might lead to unprotected sex. One student was quoted saying “ If I-Chomie yakho is too drunk to put it on – Makayeke!!” , as her take-out to the messaging of this advert. Meaning – “If your friend is too drunk to put a condom on, then he should not be having Sex at all!”

According to Msokoli Qotole, Deputy Director of Social Mobilization at the Western Cape Department of Health (WCDoH); “The department has been in partnership with JHHESA on the Scrutinize campaign for the past two years now. The campaign messaging is effective and reaching the right audiences! The thinking behind the campaign was different as it uses a different medium, which is audio media to communicate a serious issue of HIV, yet in a youthful, catchy way of animation – rather than the typical pamphlets which people usually do not read. Scrutinize is working and let’s not make HIV communication too Medical!”

The WCDoH aims at spreading the Scrutinize training to other areas of the Western Cape Schools, including Gugulethu.

Olwethu Sithembiso from Zola High School and Luvuyo Nomana from Enhlanganiso High School are some of the Students that received the Scrutinize training. They were both happy about the outcomes of the two days and are planning on implementing the campaign at their different schools during their Life Orientation sessions!

The students went further to say that “ Be kumandi in the two days! I Scrutinize Campaign isifundise ngezinto ebesizazi nokunye futhi! Ngoku ku funeke sithathe lenfudo siyibekise kolunye ulutsha!”

Direct translation: “It was extremely fun in the last two days! The Scrutinize campaign has taught us about things that we knew and a lot more! Now, we have to take what we learnt and pass it to our peers!”

On the second day of the event, peer educators brought their friends along, bringing the total number of students to 500. The peer educators then had an opportunity to showcase what they had learnt and put on performances of their choosing, incorporating songs, dancing (hip hop and traditional) and mini drama’s. This gave their friends and fellow peer educators much to cheer about, with the key messages coming through loud and clear.

Local Singer and Celebrity Gift Gwe, whose participation in the third season of Idols SA earned him the adoration of thousands of fans throughout the country, together with SABC presenter and Scrutinize ambassador Fezile Makanya entertained ther students who raised the roof to show their appreciation!

Eliminate the Element of Surprise....SCRUTINIZE!