Through its thoroughly innovative and development focused approach, MTN BUSHFIRE also has many positive impacts that extend well beyond the three days of the festival itself. The festival gives back to the people of Swaziland with 100% of profits donated to two Swazi charities and additionally through the annual Schools Outreach Programme.
Every year MTN BUSHFIRE hosts a Schools Outreach programme for over 650 students that plays a critical role in youth development and social issues through the use of the creative arts.
In 2014, the MTN BUSHFIRE Schools Programme will see over 40 teachers and over 150 students taking part in interactive workshops hosted by internationally respected facilitators Pedro The Music Man, Abraham 'Abramz' Tekya, and Lionel Newton. South Africa's Pedro "The Music Man" is well known to MTN BUSHFIRE audiences and brings his workshops, stories and indigenous instruments to life once more. Abramz is a Ugandan hiphop artist, educator, motivational speaker and creative facilitator who uses his skills to entertain, educate, empower and inspire change, whilst Lionel Newton is a well-known and respected South African actor.
Additionally, there is a Schools Festival Open Day that will see over 500 students from across Swaziland attend a full day's performance interactive programme where the facilitators present the selected youth development issues through dance, music and comedy.
The issues selected this year by MTN BUSHFIRE's Schools Programme partner, Lusweti, are in response to recognition that young people in Swaziland remain particularly vulnerable to reproductive related health risks.
The programme will therefore tackle issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights, including multiple and concurrent partnerships, early sexual debut, intergenerational sex, inconsistent or incorrect use of condoms, and other related issues. There is also a particular focus on enabling young women to resist the sexual pressures facing them.
The workshops are a fully interactive day of immersion in the arts with various tools such as dance, comedy, music and acting used to communicate these Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) messages. The students come away with basic acting, singing and dance skills, as well as a deeper understanding of many of the issues that face them as young people in Swaziland.
All MTN BUSHFIRE facilitators, ambassadors, and artists are also encouraged to participate in a workshop that addresses the SBCC messages including; sexual health, gender issues, peer pressure, gender based violence and related topics.
The MTN BUSHFIRE Schools Programme is an integral part of the festival's #BRINGYOURFIRE mantra which encourages everyone to actively engage in their own communities and to work for social change.
For more, go to www.bushfire.co.sz
