Little tales with a gentle twist
	A UNESCO-UNAIDS project is designing HIV/AIDS material for neo-literates in India

	Here’s a story of a rural couple. A migrant worker is returning to his village from the city. In the train, he fondly remembers the red bridal veil his wife had given him as a ‘keepsake’ before his departure. She had entreated him to honour it. The symbolism of this emotionally charged plea is not lost on the neo-literate reader: the bridal veil is a married woman’s most prized possession, and red is an auspicious colour in India. Together, they are tokens of happiness and holy matrimony. HIV/AIDS messages have to be simple and relevant In another story – one which mirrors the reality of tourism in Rajasthan in India – a young hotel owner in the state’s desert region provides his guests with all kinds of shady services. Inevitably, his quest for easy money ends in disaster. He becomes HIV positive. A reader-friendly primer It is these simple and direct stories that are proving to be effective vehicles for HIV/AIDS messages for neo-literates. They are straightforward, easily readable and learner-friendly. But crafting such stories is less simple than it appears as a UNESCO-UNAIDS-Government of India project discovered when it set about designing resource material. “It was when we realized how out-dated and dreary the existing HIV/AIDS material was that we launched this programme,” says Shankar Chowdhury of UNESCO New Delhi. In a bid to make primers meaningful, volunteers quizzed learners on the sort of themes and illustrations they would be happy with. A number of ideas were thrown in. The story of the bridal veil was a huge success. The women found it ‘realistic’, ‘touching’ and ‘positive’. They liked the man’s commitment to his wife; it was a ‘good story of mutual trust’ between husband and wife. This trust was probably the best way to avoid infection. When the storylines proved too difficult, the women spoke out. They disagreed with stories, which, they felt, stepped out of customary practices. Some felt that a wife could hardly ask her husband – as some stories showed her doing – if he had had sex with another woman. Not all, however, were of this view. There were those who argued that a wife had no choice but to ask her husband this question if he had lived away from home. But it had to be done with tact and politeness. On one point, however, there was unanimity: the young wife in the story ‘Kammo’ had become aware of HIV/AIDS through literacy programmes. It was then, the turn of the writers and illustrators. They had to be persuaded to abandon some of their myths about HIV/AIDS. The veteran writers learnt of women’s vulnerability, of the need for them to consult doctors without fear or shame; they discovered that people knew of sexually transmitted infections but not of HIV/AIDS; that the messages they would deliver through their stories had to merge into the larger issues of unemployment, development, poverty and ignorance. Above all, these messages and their manner of delivery had to be in tune with the people’s value system. Writers and illustrators also re-learned a few basics of their craft: short, sharp sentences and simple spellings. They realized that the stories would have to reflect people’s daily lives; and that primers had to be amply illustrated. Training volunteers After designing the reader-friendly primer the next step is to know how to use it. To begin with, you need a set of trained volunteers well-versed in local conditions, capable of handling sensitive queries and providing feedback. The books must then be read and discussed by the neo-literates, and their reactions taken into account. In the case of this project – implemented by State Resource Centres in Indore, Delhi and Alwar – all concurred that speaking of decision-making skills in future books was crucial. Women needed to think critically and be strong enough to deal with all that affected their lives – whether that meant frank exchanges with doctors, becoming the sole bread-winners, or asserting their property rights. The thirteen new storybooks in Hindi brought out under the project are interactive and enjoyable. The next phase will consist of more training in how to produce this kind of material: simple at first glance; relevant at second. Contact: Shankar Chowdhury, UNESCO New Delhi E-mail: s.chowdhury@unesco.org
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