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Grace Banda is a Senior Project Officer on our Leave No Girl Behind project

I live my life by the motto: “Explore untold stories and experiences through theatre”.

Theatre allows people to step into a world they have never experienced before, or a world they cannot relate to.

As a Senior Project Officer on the Leave No Girl Behind project, I see other people’s experiences and walk with them towards the change they hope to see – and make a positive impact in their lives.

Every day is an opportunity for me to step into someone’s life and appreciate everything that they represent – and in turn, change lives through behaviour change sessions and Interactive Theatre.

A typical day at work involves supporting my project team and monitoring behaviour change sessions on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

What I love most are the one-on-one talks with the participants, where I get to hear more about their stories and how Theatre for a Change and its methodology is making a positive impact on their lives.

In a world where sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS and gender based violence is high among women, I am taken into a world where equal rights, good health and a better life seem like they may one day be possible.

In our bid to raise awareness around SRHR and address such issues, Interactive Theatre provides a platform for the participants’ voices to be heard – and to share their experiences, too.

Theatre also gives the participants an opportunity to exercise their sexual and reproductive health rights, and in turn, put them into practice. Seeing that I have a role to play in promoting good health and wellbeing among vulnerable and marginalised groups of women across Malawi, I proudly pledge to always walk with them.