Members of MEGEN’s Artists Programme had a test of the participatory theatre items they will present during the Men’s Travelling Conference 2010 last weekend at Dagoretti County in Nairobi. This is one of a series of MTC Pre-Tests ahead of the major event slotted to take place during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence later in November and early December.

A few members of the Media and Training Programmes accompanied the Artists to get a feel of their role come the MTC but it was the Rapid Responders that had their hands full as they were handed cases; ranging from abandonment to defilement of a girl with a disability; the exposure of young children to paedophile neighbours in this densely populated low income peri-urban surburb.

The three-hour Pre-test attracted crowds and engaged them in exploring masculinity and its linkages to HIV/AIDS, and to this year’s theme: Militarism and Gender-based Violence, which the skit-writers admitted was quite challenging as they had to navigate around issues that express militarism both in and outside the barracks.

The Artist Programme Chair, Pax Washika, summarised the effect by the call to the members to address the issues fearlessly: citing how a member of the audience took the podium to admonish the female commercial sex workers not to soften and allow (half-way) non-protected sexual intercourse just because some men are ready to pay more for it. The members of Dagoretti Chapter were tasked to follow-up on the lady on how to address the issue (lack of bargaing power) and measures to curb HIV/AIDS in that context.

If the turn-out and impact of the Pre-Test is an indicator to go by about the MTC, then once again MEGEN will have a leap forward in realising its mandate of mobilising men, transforming masculinities and ending gender-based violence.   

The Men’s travelling Conference is an annual activity that sees activists traverse half of Kenya sensitizing men – and women – on Gender Equality. (See the link above for more on the MTC).

This year, the event will take 7 days and each of the three caravans will venture into previously uncovered semi-arid areas including Garissa, Hola and Maralal. MEGEN Malawi and other partners are expected to join the conference.