27 November 2010
By Kalyani Sardesai
Pune, India
A Marathi street play organised by Wake Up Pune, Deep Griha Society’s AIDS Awareness programme has five foreign student volunteers urging Puneites not to discriminate against the HIV positive.
Volunteers perform at Deccan Gymkhana bus depot recently Of the 10 volunteers acting in the play, five are foreigners. So how did the foreign students learn to speak Marathi? "These volunteers have been in Pune since August, and have been very enthusiastic about learning to converse in the local language. It’s not been too difficult – the meaning of the lines were explained to the actors, after which they practised relentlessly," says Kaustubh Chavan, Deep Griha volunteer.
"The story centres around a young girl, whose life takes a turn after she tests positive for HIV. The play aims to put the spotlight on the fact that the HIV positive are stigmatised and persecuted, ironically, at a time, when they need friends, family and colleagues to stand by them," said Chavan. While the play is on, other Deep Griha volunteers distribute pamphlets that dispel myths about HIV/AIDS.
"We also answer several queries from the audience pertaining," says Chavan. The street theatre co–ordinator is Ella Foskett–barnes, while Ryan Beck Turner is the Wake Up Pune co–ordinator.
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