RAPSIDA Timeline
December 2002
Initial Contact: Dr. Glenn Hawkes (Ed.D. Harvard University), and his son, actor/singer Jesse Hawkes travel to Rwanda on a vacation/visit with a survivor of the 1994 Genocide.
The Hawkes’ meet the inspirational Aloisea Inyumba, then Governor of Kigali-Ngali Province, former National Unity and Reconciliation Commission President, and current Senator, leading Rwanda out of the depths of the Genocide.
Inyumba encourages the Hawkes’ to do what they can to assist Kigali-Ngali confront the spread of HIV/AIDS, particularly among secondary school youth.
February 2003
RAPSIDA is Born: The Hawkes team returns to Rwanda accompanied by US High School Teacher Destiny Kangas. The three delegates consult with their Rwandan counterparts on the creation of a conference to be held in May, and on the methods that will be used, including music, theatre, literature, care/support, focus on Gender and HIV/AIDS.
May 2003
First RAPSIDA Conference in Kigali-Ngali, Theatre Trainings Begin: Accompanied by Dr. Suzanna Pflaum and Dr. Joe Grannis, the leaders of CHABHA (Children Affected by HIV/AIDS), RAPSIDA returns to Rwanda to train over 200 different teachers and students from Kigali-Ngali.
Distribution of 400 copies of novel for youth, Stronger than the Storm, and accompanying curriculum ideas.
Jesse Hawkes meets the dynamic Rwandan theatre artist Hope Azeda and the two host a join theatre training session with the youth from the schools (who are already using theatre in their HIV Prevention activities).
Development of an effective Candlelight Ceremony for Destigmatization and Motivation that will later be incorporated into theatre
Musical Theatre Identified as Possible Tool: Jesse Hawkes and Hope Azeda visit APRED-Ndera Secondary School to observe the anti-SIDA club, Hawkes witnesses the power of the club and their strong love of emotional, American/British pop music (especially boy-bands), and notices how musical theatre could be very effective among these youth who love to sing in front of a crowd.
January 2004
Second RAPSIDA Conference in Kigali-Ngali
Creation and presentation of RAPSIDA’s first Musical Theatre Sketch on the topic of Stigma with the incredibly talented APRED-NDERA anti-SIDA club, including the song, “I Like You Just the Way You Are.”
Free anti-AIDS concert from Kora Award Winning musician Jean Paul Samputu for general public in Kabuga, January 2004
March 2004
Jesse Hawkes retruns to Rwanda for a long-term visit to explore the possibility of creating a musical theatre training program for secondary school students.
June 2004
The Putting a Face on AIDS (PFOA) training program is born. Training of APRED-NDERA secondary school Anti-SIDA club members begins, in drama, musical theatre, community outreach.
Further Development of Musical Theatre PFOA creates a musical play Kunda Ubuzima with APRED-NDERA, including the original songs “Mwaramutseo” (Good Morning), “Mvure Kure” (I’ve Traveled Far), “Kuci ujiye?” (Why do you go?), “Sinzi Ndishimye” (Somehow I am Happy), “Nzakomera” (I will be Strong).
Development of Serial Theatre: Kunda Ubuzima is broken into parts, to be presented serially, over the course of 3 months July-Sept. 2004, to the same students (averaging approx. 250 students per performance)
Development of PACT (Prevention And Care Theatre): The serial musical theatre episodes are accompanied by testimonies from people who live with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and demonstrations of care/support to those PLWHA.
Experimentation of Interactive/Forum Theatre: Kunda Ubuzima includes moments of Interactive Theatre (led by a Master of Ceremonies) and Character Chat (audience post-show discussion with the characters in the play)
The “Our Town” Model is born: Kunda Ubuzima imitates Thorton Wilder’s Our Town model, with the MC guiding the audience through a typical “Day In the Life of a Rwandan Town.”
Successful Inclusion of Physical Theatre: In line with the simplicity of Thorton Wilder’s Our Town, and further influenced by Nklankla Muvundla from Cape Town, Jesse Hawkes experiments with Physical Theatre (miming of imaginary objects, minibus taxis, doors) which please the audience members in Rwanda incredibly.
July 2004
Recording of 8 HIV/AIDS prevention songs with APRED-Ndera and King David Academy singers: including Nzakomera (I will be strong) about getting tested for HIV
Episode 3 of Kunda Ubuzima tours to the Kigali Institute of Education: The following appears in the press: “”
September 2004
Groundbreaking Weekend Tour of Kunda Ubuzima to Kabuga: In collaboration with Girimpuwhe Association of PLWHA in Kabuga, RAPSIDA presents Kunda Ubuzima in 3 two-hour chunks. Students sleep in the homes of PLWHA (a novel destigmatization technique that raised eyebrows and warms hearts in the community). The majority of the expenditures for the weekend activities benefited the associations directly (a novel strategy in development work, which normally pumps money into hotels and conference centers).
October 2004
RAPSIDA’s Jesse Hawkes presents the PFOA models and techniques at the 4th International Conference on Educational Entertainment (www.ee4.org) in Cape Town
Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO) invites Jesse Hawkes to lead a musical theatre workshop for Secondary School Student Leaders from Umutara, Gikongoro, and Gitarama provinces, in Rwanda. With no previous exposure, and with only nine hours of rehearsals/training, 20 youth under the direction of Hawkes create a 15-minute musical theatre play called “Our School” which has members of the audience in tears, especially at the moment when characters have to physically fight-off their peers in order to go help a girl who suffers from prejudice and discrimination.
December 1 2004
RAPSIDA Presents at the World AIDS Day 2004 Rwandan National Ceremony The Network of PLHWA (RRP+) and the National Commission in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS (CNLS) invite RAPSIDA to present a 15 Minute musical theatre play at the National about Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT).
January 2005
In collaboration with CARE International, RAPSIDA Begins 5 months of Out-of-School Youth Club Theatre Trainings in PFOA Techniques (especially Musical and Forum Theatre)
February through April 2005
Combining Musical Theatre and Film in Rwanda, RAPSIDA creates 10 Minute Musical Film on Destigmatization called “Ingabire” (Gift) for the first Rwandan International Mini-Film Festival: The Putting a Face on AIDS program was asked by The Clinton Foundation and the Rwanda Cinema Center (RCC) to create a short film on the topic of HIV/AIDS in Rwanda for the first Rwandan Film Festival, to be held between 16 and 31 March, 2005. RAPSIDA proposed to create a short musical film based on a song from the play “Our School,” a song written and performed beautifully by Queen Mutoni from Gabiro High School. Ingabire is the name of a young girl who walks into the school yard one morning to encounter the stares and negative words of the youth and teachers who discriminate against her, because she has HIV. Gradually, the youth and teachers begin to hear Ingabire’s song, and they take personal responsibility for going to help her.
RAPSIDA runs “Scenarios from Africa” Contest in Rwanda: Scenarios from Africa (www.scenariosafrica.com) is a contest for youth below age 25 to write short scenarios for 5 minute films on HIV/AIDS. When RAPSIDA went to the 4th International Conference on Educational Entertainment in Cape Town last September, Jesse Hawkes met with a representative from Scenarios who asked us to spearhead the contest here in Rwanda, between Feb. 1st and April 15th. RAPSIDA promoted the contest in schools and youth clubs with a minimal budget, provided by Scenarios. The Rwandan Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture endorsed the contest and helped to distribute information over the radio and at youth centers. The contest focused on getting people to talk about HIV who would not normally to do so, and, on getting people to talk about HIV in new, challenging ways, such as in groups of mixed genders, or from the perspective of the opposite gender.
RAPSIDA is subject of the Synapse Theatre Company’s talk-back session, following the March 21 performance of their Off-Broadway play The God Botherers. The play concerns international development workers living and working overseas. Jesse Hawkes phoned in from Africa to NYC for the talk-back session with the audience to discuss the challenges and joys of working in Rwanda on HIV/AIDS prevention through theatre.
May 2005
RAPSIDA Completes 5 months of Out-of-School Youth Club Theatre Trainings for CARE International
June 2005
Gallery 138 in NYC raises $25000 for RAPSIDA
September 2005
Action Medeor gives 28000 Euros to Fund RAPSIDA’s 2006 Schools Initiative (Expansion of PFOA to 6 Schools in Kigali-Ngali)
RAPSIDA Produces Groundbreaking Two-Hour Musical Radio Drama for Rwandan Ministry of Education called “Our School”, including the original songs “It’s a new day, it’s a fresh start,” “Patience,” and “Kunda Ubuzima.”
October 2005
RAPSIDA Monitors and Evaluates the Effectiveness of the Trainings for CARE International, and the Effectiveness of the Theatre Methods, finding that both are having a great impact
RAPSIDA Judges its First HIV/AIDS Prevention Theatre Contest with the Youth Clubs trained in the CARE International program
Initial Contact: Dr. Glenn Hawkes (Ed.D. Harvard University), and his son, actor/singer Jesse Hawkes travel to Rwanda on a vacation/visit with a survivor of the 1994 Genocide.
The Hawkes’ meet the inspirational Aloisea Inyumba, then Governor of Kigali-Ngali Province, former National Unity and Reconciliation Commission President, and current Senator, leading Rwanda out of the depths of the Genocide.
Inyumba encourages the Hawkes’ to do what they can to assist Kigali-Ngali confront the spread of HIV/AIDS, particularly among secondary school youth.
February 2003
RAPSIDA is Born: The Hawkes team returns to Rwanda accompanied by US High School Teacher Destiny Kangas. The three delegates consult with their Rwandan counterparts on the creation of a conference to be held in May, and on the methods that will be used, including music, theatre, literature, care/support, focus on Gender and HIV/AIDS.
May 2003
First RAPSIDA Conference in Kigali-Ngali, Theatre Trainings Begin: Accompanied by Dr. Suzanna Pflaum and Dr. Joe Grannis, the leaders of CHABHA (Children Affected by HIV/AIDS), RAPSIDA returns to Rwanda to train over 200 different teachers and students from Kigali-Ngali.
Distribution of 400 copies of novel for youth, Stronger than the Storm, and accompanying curriculum ideas.
Jesse Hawkes meets the dynamic Rwandan theatre artist Hope Azeda and the two host a join theatre training session with the youth from the schools (who are already using theatre in their HIV Prevention activities).
Development of an effective Candlelight Ceremony for Destigmatization and Motivation that will later be incorporated into theatre
Musical Theatre Identified as Possible Tool: Jesse Hawkes and Hope Azeda visit APRED-Ndera Secondary School to observe the anti-SIDA club, Hawkes witnesses the power of the club and their strong love of emotional, American/British pop music (especially boy-bands), and notices how musical theatre could be very effective among these youth who love to sing in front of a crowd.
January 2004
Second RAPSIDA Conference in Kigali-Ngali
Creation and presentation of RAPSIDA’s first Musical Theatre Sketch on the topic of Stigma with the incredibly talented APRED-NDERA anti-SIDA club, including the song, “I Like You Just the Way You Are.”
Free anti-AIDS concert from Kora Award Winning musician Jean Paul Samputu for general public in Kabuga, January 2004
March 2004
Jesse Hawkes retruns to Rwanda for a long-term visit to explore the possibility of creating a musical theatre training program for secondary school students.
June 2004
The Putting a Face on AIDS (PFOA) training program is born. Training of APRED-NDERA secondary school Anti-SIDA club members begins, in drama, musical theatre, community outreach.
Further Development of Musical Theatre PFOA creates a musical play Kunda Ubuzima with APRED-NDERA, including the original songs “Mwaramutseo” (Good Morning), “Mvure Kure” (I’ve Traveled Far), “Kuci ujiye?” (Why do you go?), “Sinzi Ndishimye” (Somehow I am Happy), “Nzakomera” (I will be Strong).
Development of Serial Theatre: Kunda Ubuzima is broken into parts, to be presented serially, over the course of 3 months July-Sept. 2004, to the same students (averaging approx. 250 students per performance)
Development of PACT (Prevention And Care Theatre): The serial musical theatre episodes are accompanied by testimonies from people who live with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and demonstrations of care/support to those PLWHA.
Experimentation of Interactive/Forum Theatre: Kunda Ubuzima includes moments of Interactive Theatre (led by a Master of Ceremonies) and Character Chat (audience post-show discussion with the characters in the play)
The “Our Town” Model is born: Kunda Ubuzima imitates Thorton Wilder’s Our Town model, with the MC guiding the audience through a typical “Day In the Life of a Rwandan Town.”
Successful Inclusion of Physical Theatre: In line with the simplicity of Thorton Wilder’s Our Town, and further influenced by Nklankla Muvundla from Cape Town, Jesse Hawkes experiments with Physical Theatre (miming of imaginary objects, minibus taxis, doors) which please the audience members in Rwanda incredibly.
July 2004
Recording of 8 HIV/AIDS prevention songs with APRED-Ndera and King David Academy singers: including Nzakomera (I will be strong) about getting tested for HIV
Episode 3 of Kunda Ubuzima tours to the Kigali Institute of Education: The following appears in the press: “”
September 2004
Groundbreaking Weekend Tour of Kunda Ubuzima to Kabuga: In collaboration with Girimpuwhe Association of PLWHA in Kabuga, RAPSIDA presents Kunda Ubuzima in 3 two-hour chunks. Students sleep in the homes of PLWHA (a novel destigmatization technique that raised eyebrows and warms hearts in the community). The majority of the expenditures for the weekend activities benefited the associations directly (a novel strategy in development work, which normally pumps money into hotels and conference centers).
October 2004
RAPSIDA’s Jesse Hawkes presents the PFOA models and techniques at the 4th International Conference on Educational Entertainment (www.ee4.org) in Cape Town
Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO) invites Jesse Hawkes to lead a musical theatre workshop for Secondary School Student Leaders from Umutara, Gikongoro, and Gitarama provinces, in Rwanda. With no previous exposure, and with only nine hours of rehearsals/training, 20 youth under the direction of Hawkes create a 15-minute musical theatre play called “Our School” which has members of the audience in tears, especially at the moment when characters have to physically fight-off their peers in order to go help a girl who suffers from prejudice and discrimination.
December 1 2004
RAPSIDA Presents at the World AIDS Day 2004 Rwandan National Ceremony The Network of PLHWA (RRP+) and the National Commission in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS (CNLS) invite RAPSIDA to present a 15 Minute musical theatre play at the National about Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT).
January 2005
In collaboration with CARE International, RAPSIDA Begins 5 months of Out-of-School Youth Club Theatre Trainings in PFOA Techniques (especially Musical and Forum Theatre)
February through April 2005
Combining Musical Theatre and Film in Rwanda, RAPSIDA creates 10 Minute Musical Film on Destigmatization called “Ingabire” (Gift) for the first Rwandan International Mini-Film Festival: The Putting a Face on AIDS program was asked by The Clinton Foundation and the Rwanda Cinema Center (RCC) to create a short film on the topic of HIV/AIDS in Rwanda for the first Rwandan Film Festival, to be held between 16 and 31 March, 2005. RAPSIDA proposed to create a short musical film based on a song from the play “Our School,” a song written and performed beautifully by Queen Mutoni from Gabiro High School. Ingabire is the name of a young girl who walks into the school yard one morning to encounter the stares and negative words of the youth and teachers who discriminate against her, because she has HIV. Gradually, the youth and teachers begin to hear Ingabire’s song, and they take personal responsibility for going to help her.
RAPSIDA runs “Scenarios from Africa” Contest in Rwanda: Scenarios from Africa (www.scenariosafrica.com) is a contest for youth below age 25 to write short scenarios for 5 minute films on HIV/AIDS. When RAPSIDA went to the 4th International Conference on Educational Entertainment in Cape Town last September, Jesse Hawkes met with a representative from Scenarios who asked us to spearhead the contest here in Rwanda, between Feb. 1st and April 15th. RAPSIDA promoted the contest in schools and youth clubs with a minimal budget, provided by Scenarios. The Rwandan Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture endorsed the contest and helped to distribute information over the radio and at youth centers. The contest focused on getting people to talk about HIV who would not normally to do so, and, on getting people to talk about HIV in new, challenging ways, such as in groups of mixed genders, or from the perspective of the opposite gender.
RAPSIDA is subject of the Synapse Theatre Company’s talk-back session, following the March 21 performance of their Off-Broadway play The God Botherers. The play concerns international development workers living and working overseas. Jesse Hawkes phoned in from Africa to NYC for the talk-back session with the audience to discuss the challenges and joys of working in Rwanda on HIV/AIDS prevention through theatre.
May 2005
RAPSIDA Completes 5 months of Out-of-School Youth Club Theatre Trainings for CARE International
June 2005
Gallery 138 in NYC raises $25000 for RAPSIDA
September 2005
Action Medeor gives 28000 Euros to Fund RAPSIDA’s 2006 Schools Initiative (Expansion of PFOA to 6 Schools in Kigali-Ngali)
RAPSIDA Produces Groundbreaking Two-Hour Musical Radio Drama for Rwandan Ministry of Education called “Our School”, including the original songs “It’s a new day, it’s a fresh start,” “Patience,” and “Kunda Ubuzima.”
October 2005
RAPSIDA Monitors and Evaluates the Effectiveness of the Trainings for CARE International, and the Effectiveness of the Theatre Methods, finding that both are having a great impact
RAPSIDA Judges its First HIV/AIDS Prevention Theatre Contest with the Youth Clubs trained in the CARE International program
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