As part of the Engaging Communities in Climate Change and Health project, the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme (MLW) is working directly with local communities in Chikwawa and Blantyre Blantyre to create stage plays with messaging on the impact of climate change on health. A total of 30 participants 15 from Chikwawa (Nedi, Santana, and Kanthema villages) and 15 from Blantyre (Zingwagwa and Chilobwe) have been recruited as community actors.

The recruited participants will be trained in Theatre for Development (TFD) and community engagement. Through these skills, they will help co-create and perform community theatre performances highlighting real-life climate change and health issues and explore locally relevant solutions.

Recruitment activities have already been completed in both Chikwawa and Blantyre. Training sessions and the upcoming community performances will follow in the weeks ahead, with each community hosting performances tailored to their unique experiences and concerns.

The initiative empowers communities to voice their lived realities, spark dialogue, and identify solutions that work for them. Speaking during the recruitment exercise, one participant, Paul Pinanji, expressed appreciation: “It is exciting to be part of a project where community members are taking the lead. It gives us a real sense of ownership and shows your genuine commitment to understanding the challenges we face.”

The trained community actors will stage performances in their villages, using drama to explore and debate key climate and health challenges discovered through the previous photovoice activity that was done in the same areas. These performances will create space for reflection, discussion, and collective decision-making, making community members active agents in the fight against climate-related health risks.