The Influence Of Participatory Education Theatre As A Health Communication Strategy For Drug And Substance Abuse Prevention: A Case Of Kibera, Gatwikira Village

Abstract

Drug and substance abuse has been reported as one of the major problems affecting the Kenyan youth. The government and development agencies in Kenya have almost exclusively used anti-drug mass media campaigns for substance abuse prevention, which are not sufficiently effective, with little engagement of participatory communication approaches. Studies on the other hand have shown that the participatory education theatre is a more effective and interactive format for engaging young people in social change than any other format. The objectives of this research were to assess the attitude of the Kibera Hamlets youth participants towards the participatory education theatre, to establish their attitude towards drug and substance abuse and to assess the influence of the participatory education theatre on the attitude of the theatre participants towards drug and substance abuse. The study used the exploratory research design and the researcher triangulated data collection methods which included a survey, participant observation, in- depth interviews and a focus group discussion. The researcher purposively selected 82 youth participants as respondents for this study. According to the findings, the target participants were found to have a positive attitude towards the participatory education theatre, and having a negative attitude towards drugs and substance abuse. The research established that PET largely influences attitude against drug and substance abuse. The researcher recommends that the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse can take up participatory education theatre an as alternative communication tool for drug and substance abuse prevention, as well as sensitize other organizations to use it in fighting drug and substance abuse.