Chasing Dreams - A Comic Book and Facilitator's Guide

Chasing Dreams is a comic book, published by International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which is designed to raise awareness of the challenges facing migrants, mobile workers, and the communities with whom they interact - in particular, the challenges related to their vulnerability to HIV. The comic is set in Walvis Bay, Namibia. However, according to the publisher, the themes raised are relevant to service providers, managers, and policy makers throughout southern Africa and around the world.

Walvis Bay, with its harbour, fishing industry, and two main highways linking Namibia with the rest of southern Africa, is reported as an attractive location for migrant workers. The comic shows how the jobs migrants find in the fishing industry separate them from their families for long periods of time, leading to stress on relationships and vulnerability to HIV infection.

To capture real-life stories and issues, the comic was created through a participatory process of workshops and interviews with fishermen, sex workers, school children, public service officials, fishery management, and Walvis Bay community members.

A 33-page facilitator's guide accompanies the comic book. The guide provides:

• an introduction to using comic books as a medium for education;
• ideas for stimulating discussions based on Chasing Dreams; and
• information that the creators of Chasing Dreams uncovered during their research and interviews.

Note: the Facilitators Guide is no longer available online. Please use the contact details below to find out about obtaining a copy.