Education
Hopes and Dreams: A Drama
(10 minutes)
Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT-CWS |
Actors Required:
Ben -- a young person from a rich country
Katie -- a young person from a rich country
Joshua -- a young person from a poor country
Maria -- a young person from a poor country
Presenter
Costumes: The young people wear their normal clothes
The Presenter wears a suit
Props:
Clipboard
Us magazine
Apron
Hoe
Health magazine
Wrench
Child’s math book
50th birthday card
Bowl of vegetables
Shopping bag
No Smoking sign
Can of Slimfast
Pile of books
Newspaper
Bag of rice
Baby doll
Travel guide book
The Presenter looks at the clipboard and gives props to the characters as the sketch unfolds. The characters should then hang onto the props to remind the audience who’s who.
Presenter Welcome to Hopes and Dreams, the show that gives you the keys to the future. The format is simple – contestants state their hopes and dreams, and I’ll let them know what they’ve got in life to help them. Then it’s up to them to live the best life they can. Will they make the most of what they’ve been given? The choice is theirs! Let me introduce our contestants: Joshua, Maria, Ben, and Katie.
Let’s start with you, Ben – name one of your hopes for the future.
Ben Well, I guess my first aim is to graduate from high school and then go on to college – not sure what I’ll do, my mom says education is very important.
Presenter Good one, Ben. Any of you others interested in education?
All (nods all around)
Presenter (looks at clipboard) Well, Ben, you’ve got the luck of the draw as it happens – a private education, parents who can support you through university, and it looks like you’ll probably graduate at the top of your class! (hands over a pile of books)
Ben Ooh, thank you!
Presenter Katie, not quite such good news for you, I’m afraid. You’ll have to work in a burger stand to support yourself to get your degree in engineering. (Hands over apron. Katie looks disappointed.)
Ben Ha! You’ll have to give up the nightlife!
Presenter Maria. Sorry, Dear – where you live they don’t think educating girls is very important, so school’s out. But you’ll be able to help your grandmother on her acre of land! (hands over hoe)
And Joshua, your country can’t afford to provide schools because they are still paying back massive debts to rich countries. Your mom has managed to pay for you to go to primary school for a couple of years, but now it’s your younger brothers’ and sisters’ turn, so that’s it for you. (hands over a child’s math book)
So, Joshua, why don’t you go next? Tell us one of your dreams.
Joshua I’d like to learn a trade – I want to be a mechanic.
Presenter Good to see you’re thinking about employment…
Katie But how’s he going to do that if he’s only been to primary school?
Presenter (Looks at clipboard) Fortunately there’s a project in your town that will take you on as an apprentice, so you might just get your dream. (hands over wrench)
Now for the rest of you. Katie?
Katie Don’t like the sound of work – I’d rather travel the world for a few years.
Maria But with your degree in engineering you could work in lots of different countries, doing very constructive things.
Katie (turns up her nose)
Presenter No? OK, well, enjoy your travels. (hands over travel book)
Maria I’d like to educate the women in my community in things like healthcare, how to read, how to stand up for themselves.
Presenter Hmm, a noble aim, but if you can’t read yourself, how are you going to do that? But don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of work to do – just not of the paid variety. (hands over a baby doll for her to hold)
Ben I think I fancy journalism – top journalists get paid loads.
Joshua Well, with your education and background, of course you’ll get what you want.
Presenter But you do have a choice of whether you work for Us magazine, or highlight issues of injustice around the world. (hands over a copy of Us and a newspaper)
Katie, you’re next. Name one of your hopes.
Katie Well, I hope to stay fit and healthy for a long time – I want to live until I’m 90!
Presenter (looks at clipboard) Yes, a good, long life is a hope for most people – but you need to cut back on your smoking if you want to live to an old age. (hands over a No Smoking sign)
Ben – oh dear. Bad news. You’ll probably get a serious illness when you’re older. (hands over a health magazine; Ben looks horrified)
Maria Don’t worry, your doctor will probably detect it early and with the latest treatments you’ll be okay again in a couple of years.
Presenter Maria, bad news for you as well. Your mom and dad were HIV-positive, so you are too. And your country can’t afford the latest medicine. Hmm, I haven’t got anything to give you. (moves on hurriedly)
Joshua well – perhaps old age is a bit ambitious. Where you live, what with the poor diet and the hard physical work, people don’t live to be that old. But you’ll probably get to your 50s. (hands over 50th birthday card)
Katie If you watch out for landmines!
Presenter Last one – Maria, what would you most like to happen?
Maria To be honest, right now, what I’d like most is a good meal.
Presenter (looks at clipboard) Yes, where would webe without food? Well, your grandmother joined a local cooperative where she got training in how to farm, as well as a loan of equipment. Now she’s self-sufficient, so you have enough to eat. (hands over bowl of vegetables)
Joshua – not so lucky. An international oil company buried their waste illegally on land near where you live, so the fruit trees that people depended on aren’t producing any fruit. Food is scarce. (hands over a bag of rice)
Katie...
Joshua Well, she’s all right, isn’t she? There are eight supermarkets within a ten-minute drive of where she lives.
Presenter (hands over shopping bag)
Joshua And Ben …
Ben (interrupts) No thanks – don’t talk about food. I’m on a diet.
Presenter Oh, OK then. (hands over a can ofSlimfast)
So, there you have it – similar hopes and dreams from all of you, but very different starting places. It would be great to come back in 20 years to find out how you did – oh (looks embarrassed), except you probably wouldn’t be here, Maria. And now to end our show, each of you gets a chance to say a few words. (steps back)
Ben, Katie, Joshua, Maria (young people look at each other, and at what they have been given, and step forward one by one to say their piece)
Katie Wow! I’m glad I wasn’t born where they were. But I wouldn’t mind visiting their countries – maybe go on a safari, get some good photos and a nice tan. It would look good on my resume – very adventurous! My life looks fine – although I didn’t like the lecture on smoking. I just want to have a good life, lots of money, lots of friends, lots of everything really.
Joshua (looks at Katie) How can she be so selfish? Doesn’t she realize that the gas in the car she drives has come from my country, produced by the company that has polluted my land? I want to make my government do something about it, but it would help if people like her stood by people like me.
Maria This seems so unfair – everything seems stacked against me. But I want a good life too. Why shouldn’t I have an education, and healthcare like them? Well, I’m not just going to sit back and accept it. There must be other people who think like me. We’ll work together.
Ben You’re right, Maria, it’s not fair. I’ve never thought about this before. I’ve got choices to make, haven’t I?
Presenter You’re right, Ben, but then you’ve all got choices. Will you make the most of what you’ve been given or will you lead cozy, selfish lives? Will you work to see a fairer world? The choice, as they say, is yours.
Adapted from Just Acting, Christian Aid, London, United Kingdom. Used with permission.