COVID-19: Kumasi Cultural Centre changing behaviour with ‘Kodiawuo’ drama

The Centre for National Culture in Kumasi, under the auspices of National Commission on Culture has adopted drama as a way of creating awareness and sensitizing people in Kumasi on COVID-19.

Dubbed: “Corona ‘Kodiawuo’ Drama Awareness Raising Campaign”, the Centre has so far staged the drama at Tafo and Oforikrom municipal areas as well as within the Kumasi metropolis.

The centre has been using the occasion to also distribute free sanitisers, face masks and T-shirts to people in the areas where the drama is staged.

Purpose

The campaign, funded by the COVID-19 National Trust Fund, is intended to raise awareness and educate people on the preventive safety protocols on the disease.

The campaign admonishes citizens on the need to adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols, help mitigate the spread and impact among residents in the various areas.

The centre’s awareness campaign takes the form of Theater for Development (TfD), which is a communication tool for community development.

The drama, Corona ‘Kodiawuo’ written and directed by Emmanuel Jewel Peprah Mensah involves acting out scenes on coronavirus with actors playing the roles of individual characters in the play and telling “a life-changing story” with scientific facts on the coronavirus pandemic.

The drama is interwoven with informative dialogues and music, helping the audience to remember the story with a visual force.

The drama is also supported with other performances including, poetry, choral song, traditional music and dance.

Appeal

The Director of Kumasi CNC, Barima Asumadu-Sakyi expressed worry about the current trend of COVID-19, particularly how some people disregard the safety protocols.

He has, therefore, appealed to the public to consider the COVID-19 safety protocols as one of the surest ways to dealing with the pandemic.

Expectation

For her part, the Executive Director of National Commission on Culture, Janet Edna Nyame, expressed optimism that the campaign “will give the participants the opportunity to once again become more conscious about the pandemic and help disseminate their knowledge among their family members, friends and neighbours and make them aware on COVID-19 health issues”.

Expressing excitement about the campaign, the health official from the Oforikrom Municipal, Rosemary Afriyie Barimah, said as the drama is performed for a local audience in a local language, “it has the ability to reach an audience member with a particular message that can have a lasting impact”.