Over the years, AJAN has produced several videos, CDs and DVDs, as part of its drive to foster an informed and compassionate response to AIDS in Africa. Many of these audio-visuals have been produced by Jesuits who are enthusiastic about music, drama and communications, and their aim is to get across easily understood and attractive messages about how to prevent HIV. The creativity of the Jesuits is often spurred by the fact that, despite an overflow of AIDS awareness campaigns, many people simply do not get the message, especially those living in isolated rural areas. Or else they do not connect what they hear to the reality of risk. This is evident in that many people still don’t know basic facts about the pandemic and are still getting infected.

Among the latest such Jesuit initiatives were two AJAN-sponsored productions that came out in 2010. The productions, video For Love for Life and DVD Conscience, Personality and HIV/AIDS, encourage their audience to take informed and responsible decisions. The producer, Br Elias Mokua SJ, said: “The productions I have done so far have reached many people in high schools, parishes and homes. They have been used as resource material for training too.”

In late 2010, AJAN launched a project to involve young people more in creating audio-visual means of prevention for their peers. A script-writing competition was announced for students of Jesuit secondary schools and other youth involved in Jesuit activities across sub-Saharan Africa. Entitled Youth Movies for Life and for Love, the aim of the competition was to increase awareness by producing DVDs of mini-films based on the winning scripts. AJAN wanted to offer the young participants a chance to understand and express what the epidemic means for their everyday lives and for their friends, families, and communities. Participation was good: 55 entries arrived on time from nine countries and were judged by a panel in January 2011 in Nairobi. Twenty winners were selected. First prize went to a student from a Jesuit high school in Chad, which claimed another six winners. Other winners came from Burkina Faso, Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Togo and Zimbabwe. The winning films are being made into short films, which will be accessible in English, French and Portuguese.

If you are interesting in getting copies of AJAN-sponsored audio-visuals, please contact the AJAN Coordinator, Fr Paterne Mombé SJ, at pmombe@jesuitaids.net