Fiction as a Tool to Fight the HIV/Aids Battle

Faisal Zaidan

Center for Islamic Research and Propagation/ 

Rashkof Research Center, Kumasi

(Ghana)

HIV / AIDS is cutting a destructive path through the world: UNAIDS statistics paint an alarming picture. Especially hard hit and in grave in danger is the youth of Sub Sahara Africa who do not seem to be getting the warning messages to change attitudes and behaviour. The paper suggests an additional approach using fiction in a dual pronged manner: to teach, warn about dangers of HIV and also teach language skills. It surveys fictional material from different parts of the world, but mostly Southern Africa published any where in the world but available to young people in Africa. Fiction material that like the sugar coated pill will do the work in a relatively more user friendly fashion. Several titles published or set in Africa and elsewhere are surveyed and recommendations made

INTRODUCTION

Apart from historical, fantasy or science fiction writers, creative writers tend to be commentators on the societies they live in. To a very large extent literature tends to be a commentary on the society that breeds it. But the commentaries are not purely objective. That is why authors through their books can be indirect educators of values and norms of a society. Authors’ social values get reflected as their heroes’ and protagonists’ stance on issues emerge. This has been researched and proven. Sandra Olen (98) cites researchers who have tried to find out whether literature for children can contribute to social change. Dr Olen was discussing apartheid and literature. Ganz (98) looking at literature and social values concludes that good writing, while creative, stimulating, etc, must also be educational, informative… And that once its read every "word is constantly filing and shaping the mind and heart of the reader (especially the young reader and by extension the world around him." (Ganz 98 pp20).

One of the most current issues of this era is the HIV AIDS pandemic. It should therefore be as much a theme for writers of the era to chew on as colonialism, slavery, the World Wars, the Holocaust, 2 apartheid, have been at different times in literary history. A lot of literature- mostly academic has emerged around HIV / AIDS. Bibliographies documenting such work have emerged Gboku (2003) But perhaps (and only time and history will tell), the impact of HIV / AIDS will be bigger than all of these issues combined since according to UNAIDS Statistics every continent is hit. In world wars, some countries opt to remain neutral; in this war there is no such option. It is estimated that the decimation of lives resulting from HIV / AIDS is worse than that of the last two world wars!

At many HIV /AIDS conferences around the world the cry is echoed: lets save our world, not just a country, or even a continent: our world! During the 2003 IFLA Conference in Berlin, the President of IFLA (from Sub Sahara Africa, worst hit by the pandemic) is reported to have urged action about specific challenges to African librarians, among other things she cited HIV-AIDS. The International Association of School librarianship (IASL) has addressed the issue of HIV AIDS to some measure in its last two conferences (Malaysia, 2002, Durban 2003), and has a web page devoted to it, with links to other resources.

OVERVIEW

HIV / AIDS has hit sub Sahara Africa hard. That the world is seriously concerned is evidenced by the numerous bodies / organisations that have erupted around the world-over to address the issue. The UNAIDS is perhaps the highest of them at the international level. The President of Botswana at the launch of the Macmillan Art Against HIV / AIDS Competition in 2002 referred to the HV / AIDS situation in military terms. He spoke of Botswana’s being at war…. When nations are at war, nationals and their allies rally together.

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