The Ministry of Social Development and the Sunshine Theatre Company present ‘Somebody Help Me Please!’ – A Theatrical Production about Child Abuse and Child Protection. The Ministry of Social Development expresses deepest gratitude to the Sunshine Theatre Company and the Cast of ‘Somebody Help Me Please!’ for their partnership in this community theatre production.
Somebody Help Me Please! … is a mini drama, written and directed by Felix Fleming and set on the island of Anguilla. The script was commissioned by the Ministry of Social Development as part of its ongoing Safeguarding Children in Anguilla Project funded through a UNICEF grant. The characters, premise, plot and subplots were all drawn from the playwright’s imagination and not from any factual cases. The premise is ‘child sexual abuse destroys young lives’. In the play Tamika, one of the central characters is being abused and has confided in her best friend Ellie who promises to keep her secret, while hiding her own personal dilemma. In the meantime, Tamika’s life is falling apart. Her odd behaviour is noticeable at home and at school — but lives change quickly as Ellie makes the hard decision to reveal Tamika’s secret. The story begins in the home of Philip and Rachelle Nelson, and spans a period of sixteen years and focuses on the premise which has emerged in fact as a major problem on the island. The play also highlights some of the methods child sexual offenders use to entrap their young victims and explores actions that children themselves, parents, teachers, other adults and caregivers can take to prevent such abuse.¬
‘Somebody Help Me Please!’ will be staged four (4) times during the month of September. On Saturday 21st, Sunday 22nd, Saturday 28th, and Sunday 29th September 2013 at 7:00pm sharp nightly at the Ruthwill Auditorium – there is no admission charge; donations will be collected to assist with covering non-sponsored expenses.
The general public is invited. The play is appropriate for children 9 years and over. The purpose is public sensitization and awareness on the issue of child abuse and child protection.
5th and 6th Graders across all primary schools will be specially invited and are expected to be seated by 6:40pm; they should be collected by 8:20pm if unaccompanied by an adult. Each student in these grades will receive an invitation card that permits their entry, on one (1) of the nights. That night will be specified on the invitation card. While these grades are the main target audience for the live performances, the play will be produced on DVD for use as a teaching and learning tool with 4th Grade cohorts. It is anticipated that a companion workbook will also be available for use to reinforce the lessons learned on DVD.
The objectives of this teaching and learning package are to sensitize children to appropriate and inappropriate behaviours; provide children with knowledge and skills to protect themselves from abuse; and sensitize children about what to do if they have been abused.
The Primary School Counsellors will be available to offer support to the 5th and 6th Graders should there be any emotional response to the play. Other members of the public who may need support can contact the Department of Social Development on 497-2317.
This production is part of the Safeguarding Children in Anguilla Project, a child protection project coordinated by The Ministry of Social Development since 2009. It is an ongoing project for which sponsorship is critical. The Government of Anguilla is indeed grateful for UNICEF’s continued assistance. ‘Somebody Help Me Please!’ is one of the main outputs of the project. Thank you to the local Project Team and every success to the cast and crew for the upcoming four stage performances!
– Press Release
