VZCZCXRO7007
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHOR #0663/01 2320918
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 200918Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY GABORONE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5977
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GABORONE 000663 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR IIP/AF; IIP/P; AF/PD; AF/S 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KPAO OEXC SCUL KHIV BC
SUBJECT: REPORT ON SPEAKER/SPECIALIST NTARE MWINE 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: Mr. Ntare Mwine, an Ugandan-born American playwright, 
film-maker and actor, worked with PAS Gaborone on a program on 
HIV/AIDS advocacy from June 15-20.  Mwine reviewed the theatre 
pieces that directors from the local NGO Youth Health Organization 
(YOHO) had produced since a previous workshop he conducted with them 
in June 2007.  The revised pieces were used to introduce a total of 
thirty participants to film production. END  SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM: Ntare Mwine conducted a week-long 
workshop in Botswana from June 15-20.  This was a follow-up to a 
June 2007 program he conducted in Botswana on the same topic.  The 
purpose of Mwine's second visit to Botswana was 1) to review the 
progress made by Youth Health Organization (YOHO) theatre directors 
in creativity and performances of their HIV/AIDS related messages 
since the previous workshop; 2) to advise the directors on how best 
to target messages to their audiences; and 3) to reach out to both 
out-of-school and in-school youth during the commemorations of the 
"Day of the African Child," June 16th. 
 
¶3. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The program began with 20 participants from 
the previous workshop showing their solo theater pieces to recap the 
styles and skills they had learned from Mwine in June 2007. 
Participants shared feedback on the performances, discussed ways the 
pieces could be improved, and also talked about visualizing the 
messages targeted to the audience.  Discussions were held about how 
to balance HIV/AIDS messages with dramatization: creativity balanced 
with conflict, setting and hope.  During the first afternoon, the 
performances were taken to the streets and shopping malls of 
Letlhakane to test how a live audience would respond to the 
presentations.  The performances attracted adults and kids alike. 
 
 
For the next three days, the workshop began with a summary of the 
previous day, and making improvements on the pieces.  Improved 
performance pieces were then developed into scenes for film 
production.  Participants took turns to take different 
responsibilities in the production, ranging from recording audio and 
pictures and setting scenes.  Participants had to look for suitable 
settings in the street, shopping area, school grounds and forest to 
shoot different parts of their scenes.  Shooting of scenes took two 
days, with reviews in between resulting in adding missing links of 
the creativity. 
 
In addition to the workshop activities, participants were invited to 
perform at local schools for the commemoration of "The Day of the 
African Child" and the launch of a film that YOHO had independently 
produced on DVD called "The Flower."  Each time the workshop 
participants performed for various audiences, their works always 
displayed polished creativity. 
 
¶4. TIME FRAME: The program took place from June 15-20 overlapping 
with commemorations for "The Day of an African Child," June 16th. 
It was on June 16, 1976 when South-African black children were 
killed in large numbers in protest of the apartheid regime.  Since 
then, this day has been celebrated both in South Africa and 
neighboring countries, including Botswana. 
 
¶5. PROGRAM IMPACT AND RESULTS: During this program, Mwine reached 
out to at least 1000 students aged between 12 and 18 years of age 
that participated in the commemorations of "The Day of the African 
Child."  Over 500 spectators also observed the performances during 
road shows conducted in the malls and road sides of Letlhakane. 
Both youth in-school and out-of-school ranging from 8-35 years of 
age were reached, together with adults.  Twenty theater directors 
from the 2007 workshop participated again, and were joined by ten 
new directors for this workshop.  The capacity of YOHO's theatre 
production has therefore been increased, and participants came from 
across six regions of Botswana.  Immediate outcomes of the program 
include a film produced during the workshop and the skills gained by 
those who had roles in casting characters, creating sets, and 
capturing audio and video for the recording of the dramatization. 
Moreover, lead YOHO directors were in the process of publishing a 
theatre manual that will guide them in the creation of their works. 
Mwine's presence was an opportune time for them to have him review 
the manual and provide a professional blessing to publish the manual 
during 2009. 
 
¶6. MEDIA COVERAGE: Since the proram with Mwine was not in Gaborone 
but took plac in the city of Letlhakane, four hours away from te 
capital, media coverage was only possible at te end of the program. 
 Mwine was interviewed liv on government-owned television station 
"Btv" and he also appeared in "Mmegi", an independent daily 
newspaper. 
 
¶7. EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SPEAKER:  Mwine is a great facilitator in 
theatre and film.  He is well experienced in the field and 
passionate about the subject matter.  However, a written workshop 
plan would assist a passionate and energetic facilitator like Mwine 
in ensuring that he maintains interest of his participants 
throughout, and keep them at the same level of comprehension. 
 
GABORONE 00000663  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶8. IIP SUPPORT: Post appreciates and thanks IIP/S/V through Stacey 
Rose-Blass for being very supportive from start to finish of this 
program.  We look forward to future collaborations in an effort to 
reach Botswana youth through the arts. 
 
HAMILTON