 | Aids resource manual - A guide for teaching about AIDS in Thailand |
 |  | Section III - Games and activities |
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Activity 14: The story of four friends
Objective:
• To stress the importance of abstinence and monogamy in AIDS prevention
Target Group:
• Secondary students
Materials:
• Flip chart picture cards
Preparation:
• Prepare the flip chart cards beforehand or ask students to help to draw the cards.
Hints for the facilitator:
• Read the story ahead of time to yourself. Memorize the story picture by picture so that you do not have to read the story from this paper.
• Change the names of the people in the story so that they suit the people of your area. Add other details about the characters' backgrounds to make them more personal.
• Have the students sit near you. Or walk slowly around with each chart so everyone can see the pictures.
• Hold the charts up high enough so that everyone can see. Hide your fingers as much as you can. Point the pictures to the students, not towards yourself
• Point out details in the pictures and ask students questions. Ask "Do you see the four friends in the picture?" "Does this woman look healthy or sick?" "What is happening in this picture here?"
STORY
CHART 1: The Four Friends
Malee, Sompong, Tong-Chai and Cha-on (give your own local names to these people in the story) were good friends. They had all been going to school since Patome 1. Sompong and Malee liked each other very much as did Tong- Chat and Cha-on. Both couples dreamed of getting married some day, after they had finished secondary school.
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CHART 2: Teacher Talks to Class
One day at school, the teacher announced that they would be having a special lesson about the new disease called AIDS. Some of the pupils had already heard a little about it, but no one was really sure about the facts. The lecture about AIDS was very interesting. The teacher explained that by following one simple rule you could almost always avoid this terrible disease. He said that by saying no to IV drugs and by choosing just one person for marriage and being faithful to them and they to you, you would not get this illness. He explained that though AIDS can be spread in other ways, it is usually spread by people who had sex with many other people, or who shoot drugs.
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CHART 3: Two Boys Begin to Argue
Soon after the lesson Sompong and Tong-Chai were talking about what the teacher said about AIDS. Tong-Chai was surprised when Sompong said he didn't believe what the teacher said. Sompong said that to prove you were a man you should have sex with as many women as possible and go to prostitutes. An older boy had told Sompong that all sexually transmitted diseases could be cured easily with one big injection. Tong-Chai reminded Sompong that AIDS could not be cured at all and that it caused a painful death.
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CHART 4: The Boys Go Their Separate Ways
Tong-Chai tried as hard as he could to convince Sompong that he was wrong. Tong-Chai knew that it was exactly Sompong's kind of thinking that was causing AIDS to spread very rapidly. Tong-Chai kept trying until Sompong got angry with him and left to go talk with some other friends. Tong-Chai realized that these friends were the ones who had been the source of Sompong's mistaken ideas. Sompong's friends had all dropped out of school several years earlier and spent most of their time sitting around drinking Mekhong and talking about women. Tong-Chai went to his other friends who were serious about their studies.
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CHART 5: Two Girls Talk Together
Strangely enough, while this was happening, Malee and Cha-on were having a very similar conversation. Cha-on was shocked to find out that Malee had already started having sex with several older men who were buying many nice things for her. In spite of all her arguments, Cha-on couldn't convince Malee that she had to believe what they had been taught.
Figure
CHART 6: Boy and Girl are Betrothed
Several years went by and the two couples went their separate ways. Tong-Chai and Chaon both studied to become doctors. They had to work hard but they enjoyed their work. Soon Tong-Chai asked Cha-on to marry him.
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CHART 7: An Idle Life
Neither Sompong or Malee finished school since they thought it was a waste of time. Sompong found odd jobs from time to time but most of his money was wasted on drinking and on prostitutes at the coffee shops. He knew that people said this was dangerous but he didn't care any more. Malee made her living by having sex with rich politicians and businessmen who would pick her up in their Mercedes. She was very unhappy but didn't know how else she could make money.
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CHART 8: A Girl in Trouble
One day, Malee found out that she was pregnant. As her pregnancy progressed she slowly became sicker and sicker. She started to cough and have fevers every night. Instead of gaining weight she actually lost weight as the baby grew. By now, none of her rich friends would have anything to do with her. By chance, she went to the same hospital where Cha-on was doing her training. When Malee saw her, she begged Cha-on to help her.
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CHART 9: At the Clinic
After examining Malee, Cha-on thought from her medical experience that Malee had AIDS. Blood tests proved that her old friend was dying of AIDS and that nothing could save her. It was very difficult, but Cha-on summoned her courage and sat down to tell Malee. Through her tears, Malee cried, "If only I had listened to you when we were back in school!"
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CHART 10: At the Funeral
Soon after she had her baby, Malee died. Malee's aunt agreed m care for the baby even though it was sickly. Tong-Chai and Cha-on told the aunt they would help her care for the baby as much as possible to give the child a chance at survival.
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CHART 11: A Friend's Advice
One day after the funeral, Sompong came to see Tong-Chai. Sompong told Tong-Chai that he had been tested for the AIDS virus and that the infection was present in his blood. Although he was not having any symptoms, Sompong was very scared and asked Tong-chai what he should do. Tong-Chai told Sompong to stop having sex with all women to keep him from spreading AIDS. Tong-Chai told Sompong to stop smoking cigarettes and greatly reduce the amount of alcohol he drank. He encouraged him to eat a healthier diet and to exercise daily. All these were all difficult changes for Sompong to make but he was determined to try his best after hearing Malee's fate. Tong-Chai was very sorry for Sompong and he promised to help him with his struggle for life.
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CHART 12: The Unbeliever Believes and Helps Others
In his spare time Sompong now began to study as much as he could about AIDS. When attending a community lecture about AIDS one day, a man at the back of the crowd told Sompong he did not believe what he heard about AIDS. Sompong gave the man a private man-to-man talk about AIDS and convinced the man to change his ways and understand the truth about AIDS. Sompong was determined to live as long as he could and to help as many people as possible to avoid his own terrible fate.
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QUESTIONS FOR THE FOUR FRIENDS STORY
Ask the pupils questions about Sompong, Malee, Tong-Chai and Cha-on and what happened in the story. Show the charts again as you discuss the events, such as:
• What was the important way to stop AIDS which the teacher told the class? Who did not believe this? Why did they not believe it?
• Why did Sompong get angry with Tong-Chai? If you had a friend like Sompong, what would you do? What if Sompong were your brother?
• Why was Malee keeping company with older men? Did the nice things Malee got make her happy? What would you say to her if Malee was your friend?
• How did Tong-Chai and Cha-on keep from getting AIDS?
• What were the things that Tong-Chai told Sompong to do when he knew he had AIDS virus in his blood? Will these things cure the AIDS? How will they help others?
• Could the things that happened to Sompong and Malee happen to you? How will you stop it from happening?
From: The Uganda School Health Kit on AIDS Central
PICTURE CARDS
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