Using theatre to educate communities and improve health in Solomon Islands

Community volunteer theatre groups are using drama to address health issues in the Weather Coast of Guadalcanal Province in the Solomon Islands. Using role play, drama and humour to educate people has proven to be a successful tool in changing people’s behaviour and improving the health and nutrition of children. Before the Health Promotion through Theatre Project, children frequently missed meals and were not getting the nutrition they needed to be healthy. Now mothers understand the importance of feeding their children regular meals and what foods they need to  eat to meet their nutritional needs.

The project aims to ensure communities adopt life skills and health practices needed to protect the health of children and families. Messages on hygiene, hand washing, nutrition, preparing healthy food and breastfeeding are being promoted through theatre using humour.

“People in the Solomon Islands like comedy, they like to laugh. If a script is serious people shy away but if it is funny people laugh and enjoy themselves while they learn something” said Patrick Kekea Director of Isi Action Theatre Group.

Mr Kekea is working in partnership with World Vision Solomon Islands to establish volunteer theatre groups in the remote communities of Viso and Boliu on the Weather Coast of Guadalcanal.  In addition to education awareness he is teaching the groups acting, script writing and production to develop their skills so that they can create their own drama plays to entertain and education their community.

Theatre has been a successful in reaching people with low literacy and getting communities involved with spreading health promotion messages. 

Mr Kekea hopes that the theatre groups will also use their new skill to address other issues that are affecting their communities such as climate change, substance abuse and violence.