Dear Friends, We continued our conversation with a group of boys about healthy relationships, sex and family planning (AWB – 1911). This time we offered biryani instead of burgers and 6 “older” youth showed up. After dinner and a game of charades that got everyone laughing heartily, the youth were paired up; some with an adult volunteer. Each pair was given a short script entitled “Tonight’s the night” which was a short exchange between 2 boys, one of whom had plans for sex later that evening. Role-playing with a script was an effective way of immersing oneself into a context …
Another Week Beyond – 1924
Dear friends, Last Friday, the youth from our Community Theatre Programme set foot into the Esplanade Theatre Studio for the first time. They were checking out the venue as from 1 to 3 August 2018, they will be staging The Block Party, an original play there. Although they had performed at communal spaces in different neighbourhoods, being inside the theatre triggered feelings of anxiety and excitement within them. Despite, almost 18 months of work co-creating this production, the significance of performing at the Esplanade has just hit them. Being involved in the programme has been significant for these youth in …
Another Week Beyond – 1923
Dear Friends Sometimes, those who tell us that they are coming for a meeting or an event do not show up. As a result, we tend to get a little disappointed and even blame them for not honouring their word. However, it would be apt to ask ourselves, “How have we contributed to this very situation that we are complaining about?” “Did we actually give people the space to honestly decline our invitation without feeling that we would think less of them or imagining that they would be penalised in some way?” The “conversation of dissent” is one of 6 …
Another Week Beyond – 1922
Dear Friends Last Saturday, the Kampong Henderson Day concluded with Member of Parliament, Joan Pereira recognising students in the neighbourhood who had done well followed by a breaking of fast meal where I had the privilege of sitting next to a top executive from a multi-business company. I am not mentioning his name as I have not told him that I am writing about our encounter. As a child, he resided at the Henderson neighbourhood and he recalled how easy it would be then for a young person to get onto the wrong side of the law. He had his …