As part of its monthly seminar program, the HIV/AIDS Unit gave a group of students the opportunity to meet noted author and filmmaker Rayda Jacobs.
Ms Jacobs presented the film Confessions of a Gambler on 10 June 2008 on the Cape Town Campus. Aside from writing the bestseller on which the film was based, she is also the film’s co-director and lead actress.
The film tells the story of Abeeda, a Muslim woman who struggles with her addiction to gambling triggered by her son’s death from AIDS. Ms Jacobs, when answering questions from the students, explained that the film deals with the impact of HIV/AIDS to the uninfected or rather “affected”. The notion is that too often we focus our attention on the infected and neglect the affected. The HIV/AIDS Unit invited her not only to show her movie to students but also to motivate students to use the talents they have to achieve their dreams.
“The HIV/AIDS Unit, although very small, takes pride in educating and empowering CPUT students with regards to HIV/AIDS sometimes by exposing talented people like Rayda to the students,” said Peer Educator Phumelani Mayongo.
Loyiso Malindi from CPUT HIV/AIDS Unit says the movie has changed the way we think about our future as individuals. “The presentation has given people a whole lot of hope and it is not just about helping other people emotionally it is about helping others realise that they can help other people while they are in a process of healing themselves”, he added.
by Zininzi Ntando, Marketing and Communication Department
Written by CPUT News
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