English Theatre Network

English Theatre is a Peace Corps Secondary Project in which groups of high school students write and perform a skit in English. Each year, there is a theme that groups must incorporate into their skits. This year, the theme was "The Choice is Mine, the Future is Ours." I took 10 members of my group, Grupo Amizade, to compete in the competition in Guija, Gaza last Saturday, September 28th, 2013. 

Grupo Amizade

The day started with a traditional dance group from just outside of Guija.  

The judges table. Pharren, Elisabetta and Marieka.

Giving out certificates of participation.
Chalia played the mother in our skit. Alden, on the left, was the national coordinator of English Theatre Network this year. And Americo, to his right, was the coordinator for Gaza. 

Our skit won "2nd Place" and "Most Creative".
Our skit was about a mother who remarried a man, Armando, for his money, but ended up contracting HIV/AIDS. She got very sick and had to be hospitalized. While she was hospitalized, Armando raped the mother's daughter, Mirella. The mother ends up dying in the hospital. But, Mirella confides in a classmate, Mutukuzi, who was also sexually abused, and together they go to report the stepfather and get her examined by a doctor at the violence against women and children sector of the hospital. Mirella finds out that she too is HIV positive and is now pregnant. Even though the mother made a choice that ruined her and her daughter's lives, Mirella made the choice to report Armando and the choice to get tested. She is now responsible for the future of her unborn child.
"The choice is mine, the future is ours."

Paulo Mendes, one of my students who played one of the lead roles, Mutukuzi, took home "Best English Speaker."
He said it was because of his teacher. :)

Grupo Amizade with Calvino, who used to be in our group, and his dance group from just outside Guija.
It was a great day all around!

Just a fun photo...
the kids showed up at my door pretending to be puppies themselves. Check out their tails.