WINDHOEK - Thanks to a donation by the Franco-Namibian Cultural Center (FNCC) the popular educational AIDS play, The Trumpet Player, will be performed at 30 more primary schools in the capital over the next two weeks.

This became known through the organising secretary of Committed Artists of Namibia, actress Felicity Celento.

"We are extremely grateful for the financial support the FNCC is giving to this much-needed educational project that has already had a profound positive impact in the behavioral patterns of learners to whom the play had been performed," Celento said.

The Trumpet Player so far has been performed at 45 selected primary, tertiary and secondary education institutions in the country with a total of 32 000 learners that have seen the play.

"The donation caters for 63 performances of the play, specifically for primary schools in the capital in view in the fact that primary schools have time to fit in performances with little interruption during this time.

Performances at schools in and around Rehoboth and Okahandja will to be done in January next year. This donation ensures the continuation of performances in the struggle against and the curb of the AIDS pandemic's effect among the Namibian youth. It also serves as a source of employment to unemployed youths," Celento said.

Initial funding for the AIDS preventative educational play was contributed by the Finnish embassy, the American Cultural Center through its PEPFAR scheme and Bank Windhoek. These organisations have also been approached to finance more performances in 2009.

"This is the second time the Franco-Namibia Cultural Center is contributing towards the performance of this very important educational play. We are constantly working to raise funding to continue with this much-needed and plausible project in helping to bring down the high rate of AIDS among the youth of the country," she said.

According to her, local business and the government sectors are still not pulling their weight in financially supporting the project that is highly regarded by educational and AIDS experts here and in South Africa.

"We are confident and optimistic that go-vernment AIDS departments and NGO's will some time in the future join hands with CAN in this noble theatre effort encouraging sex abstinence and changed attitudes towards sex among the youth," she concluded.

The play will be staged this morning at three selected primary schools in Khomasdal and Katutura.

Source: newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=803