Kuru : HIV/AIDS and Art in Botswana

HIV/Aids Poster Campaign (KURU) (MDG 5)

When crafts people from D’Kar wanted to add an educational component to their workshops in the field, an number of local groups got together to produce what is the first HIV/AIDS awareness poster campaign to use a San language. “The feeling came that people weren’t getting the information because of language,” says Komku Trust deputy coordinator, Cgara Cg’ase. “It’s better to use their own language.” So local Naro-speaking people, along with members of the D’Kar and Komku Trusts (Komku is Naro for “listen to each other”) and Gantsi Crafts formulated the text and designed and distributed the posters. Funded by BONASO (Botswana Network of Aids Services and Organization) and given out together with an information booklet written in three languages, Naro, Setswana and English, the posters were well received by people in the Naro communities. The project was so successful that plans are underway for similar information campaigns that will involve other San languages and communities in Botswana.

The Botswana Network of Aids Services and Organization is a partner organisation of Uniterra in the HIV/AIDS sector in Botswana.
Story by : David Wightman, Uniterra volunteer in 2005.