JOCV 50th year anniversary

Name: Yuya Nakamura
Batch: FY2007-1 (Jun 2007 - Jun 2009)
Technical Field: HIV/AIDS Control
Host Organization: Tikolelaniko HIV/AIDS Resorce Centre
Hometown in Japan: Nagoya City, Aichi

A Piece of Memory: "The Memories of a Pepani (Sorrowful) Theatre Company"

Pepani is a Chichewa/Chitumbuka word meaning "I'm sorry" or "sorrowful." In 2008, there was a time when JOCV members related to HIV/AIDS Control & Medical Care in the Mzimba District in northern Malawi formed a group called "Theatre Company Pepani." The purpose of this project was to engage in educational theater to encourage local HIV-positive and AIDS patients to include in their daily diet "soybean," which is rich in protein and less expensive compared to meat or fish, and thereby improve their nutrition.

The members who agreed to join the group were diversely talented. In addition to experienced medical professionals such as nurses and nutritionists, there was also a middle-aged man who had cycled around the world, a former newspaper reporter who was uselessly argumentative, and a TV director who was always raucous. The name "pepani" was self-deprecating, as the members of the group were unique but also had many disappointing aspects.

The script was written in English by a former newspaper reporter in the group (the author). To summarize, the story is about a man with AIDS who was intemperate, but under the guidance of a nutritionist, improves his diet, starts eating a lot of soybeans, and in the end, he gets well after being empowered by the hero "Soya Man (= soybean man)." It was translated into Chitumbuka with advice from Malawians. Incidentally, I was assigned to play the role of Soya Man by natural progression.

With fellow members of Theatre Company Pepani

Performances were held at hospitals and patient support facilities. Each performance was a great success, drawing crowds of people. However, as expected, the actors could not remember their lines in Chitumbuka, and they had to rely on their notes during the actual performance, making the performances very sluggish. Nevertheless, the Yoshimoto Shinkigeki-style overacting was well received by the audience, generating much excitement. But strangely enough (?), when the play reached its climax and Soya Man sashayed onto the stage to close out the performance, the scene would suddenly freeze, and the air would be filled with a deafening silence every time. It seemed that the audience did not quite understand the sentai (task force) superhero-like presence, and everyone was stunned. I break out in a cold sweat just remembering the pain of running around as Soya Man, naked from the waist up with a strange feeling of excitement (lol).

Time flies and it has been 13 years since then. The author still acts as Soya Man in Ogawa Village, Nagano Prefecture. For some reason, I am running a soybean-themed restaurant named "Daizu Shokudo Pachoko" to help revitalize the local community. When I think back on the content of my old plays and my limited knowledge of soybeans, I can only say that I am truly a "pepani." If I have the chance, I would like to revisit Malawi someday, and as a real Soya Man who is not a pepani, I would like to be involved again in activities to promote soybean cuisine.

Next will be Masayuki Takenaka, a JOCV member of Batch FY2006-3, who taught many games to children in Malawi.