Youth group tackles HIV issues

“Denial and ignorance is killing our youth, and we devote our time and energy to fight that,” explained the Ubuntu Peer Educators from Silobela.
The Department of Health established the group in 2011, provided them with training on health information and communication skills that they use to engage their peers in conversations about HIV and Aids and to promote health-enhancing knowledge and skills.
The group members meet on Mondays to decide on the week’s topics and are divided into six sub-groups that visit every section at Silobela to discuss the different topics for the week that encourage behavioural change.
According to the group, they still encounter situations where people resist talking or engaging in conversations relating to HIV and Aids.
The group is concerned about the drugs, substance and alcohol abuse in the area and believe that such behaviour increases multiple infections and unprotected sex is common in those circumstances.
“Some members of the community become negative and act rudely once we explain our visits to their homes. However, there has been a great shift, as some open up and start asking questions which was not the case before,” said one of the educators.
The group also gives training to child minders on how to deal with or handle HIV-infected babies. Together with the professional nurses, they also give health talks at the local clinic.
The group’s latest campaigns include condom distribution, education on sexually transmitted infections (STIs), hygiene and male medical circumcision.
Another member in the group mentioned that their work includes educating people about other deadly diseases, such as cancer and TB that are often ignored.