A NEW museum was launched at UKZN Durban Campus last month, which aims to bring knowledge and information about HIV/Aids to students.
The museum, entitled SA Voices HIV Museum UKZN Edition, was launched on 12 June, spearheaded by the UKZN HIV/Aids Programme in partnership with info4africa, a Centre of the School of Applied Human Sciences. It is strategically placed in the EG Malherbe Library to contribute towards curriculum integration and an effort to debunk the stigmatisation of HIV.
Nkululeko Magwaza, librarian for the School of Health Sciences, said the issue of HIV was one that was always on his mind and said he felt he needed to do something to bridge the gap between the university and students, to show them the impact of HIV/Aids, and that they could interact with the university on this issue.
“I put together a display in the library on HIV/Aids to make students aware and conscious about the issue, but it would’ve been empty without the involvement of the HIV Department. We displayed condoms, information and pamphlets, and the aim from the library side was to care about students and be involved in their well-being. I took this further with the HIV Department, and it has grown to where it is today,” he said.
Nomonde Magantolo from the HIV/Aids Programme said South African Voices documents a critical and defining chapter in our collective journey to overcome HIV in South Africa. The South African Voices HIV Museum exhibition was created and launched as a legacy project in July last year at the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban, and situated at KwaMuhle Museum, the flagship was a first for South Africa.
“It was proposed that we do the same at UKZN and grow on the original display in the library. We negotiated with the library, as it is a place where students go often to study, and this museum exhibition is in their faces and will empower them with HIV knowledge, stories and reflections, and gives a timeline of Aids in South Africa, as well as information about support services available to them at the university,” she said.
She said the team involved wanted to make the museum visible so students would ask questions, and to reach students where they are.
The exhibition consists of a number of zones covering HIV basics and science, stories of HIV champions at UKZN and the wider South African society, reflections on people lost to HIV and innovative models for treatment, care and support.
The team has worked closely with staff and Students from the UKZN Disability Support Unit, Tape Aids for the Blind and KZN Deaf Association to ensure the the museum accommodates people with disabilities. Panels include easy to read text and braille translations have been created for every museum panel. Tape Aids gave of their time and expertise to create voice files for each of the stories of HIV champions featured in the collection.
Faith Bhengu-Magwaza, principal librarian of the College of Humanities, said she had had positive feedback from departments who said they would ensure students spend time viewing and interacting with material at the museum.
Debbie Heustice, project director, said bringing to fruition the SA Voices HIV Museum Project had been a mammoth task and would not have been possible without the support of partners and funders.
“This is a truly South African HIV community effort,” she said.
