I’m not scared to be seen. I make no apologies, this is me!
Zimbabwe – In the Greatest Showman’s original song ‘This is Me’, a group of people who have been stigmatised and isolated from society fight back, saying I am bruised, I am battered, but I won’t let that get me down, because I am glorious. This is Me.
And the Africaid Zvandiri team have used their version of the song to raise awareness about the stigmatized HIV community in Africa!
Africaid Zvandiri is a community organisation in Zimbabwe which, through its Zvandiri programme, integrates community prevention, treatment, care and support for children and adolescents living with HIV. Africaid is committed to helping HIV positive children and young people to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to cope with their HIV status and to live happy, healthy, fulfilled lives. Its mission is to increase access to quality care and support for HIV positive children and young people through the development and dissemination of innovative models of community-based care and support.
“This is Me resonates so closely with our own life experiences as young people from Zimbabwe whose lives have been changed by HIV. We have faced so many challenges growing up – stigma, isolation, hopelessness and fear for our future – but we have learned to cope, love and accept ourselves as we are. This is Me.”
With the generous permission of the original writers, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and Kobalt and Fox Music, Africaid Zvandiri have covered this song in their own unique, Zimbabwean, Zvandirian way.
“We came together as a group of young people from the Zvandiri programme in Zimbabwe, with support from other local singers, dancers and artists. Zvandiri means ‘as I am – this is me’. We had never sung, never danced and never performed before. We auditioned and were selected to be part of this production. Please watch and enjoy as we celebrate who we are.”
Watch the video here:
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