Soweto residents called to combat HIV/AIDS and GBV
Soweto has seen some of the most gruesome GBV cases, with the most recent one involving Protea Glen's Flavio Hlabangwane who was arrested when a friend discovered female body parts inside his fridge.
Residents of Pimville and Soweto at large have been invited to an HIV/AIDS and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) education campaign to be held on December 1. The campaign is spearheaded by the ArtistsForChange non-profit organisation with the aim of raising awareness and educating communities.
ALSO READ: MMC Mfikoe gives back to her former high school
Speaking ahead of the event, school teacher and artist, JV Cele said it was important to remind people that HIV/AIDS is still one of the biggest challenges South Africa and the world faces.
“Great advances have been made in medicine but we still think it is important that we remind communities that the threat of HIV/AIDS is still very much a serious one,” he said.
Another important talking point on the day will be the issue of Gender-Based Violence. Soweto has seen some of the most gruesome GBV cases, with the most recent one involving Protea Glen’s Flavio Hlabangwane who was arrested when a friend discovered female body parts inside his fridge. Cele said stories like these were shocking and signalled the need for education.
“It is scary because we thought we were defeating this scourge of GBV, but we are still hearing stories like this and that tells us there is a lot more work to do in combating GBV, and a large part of that is educating young men. The man accused of this crime is 26 years old and you have to ask yourself where young men are getting this level of hate for our sisters,” Cele added.
The day will also feature performances from various artists and groups, as well educational messages from Non-Profit Organisations around Soweto.
A recent report released in August revealed that 23 226 girls in Gauteng fell pregnant between April 2020 and March 2021. The report also added that more than 19 000 babies were delivered by girls in the age group of 15 to 19 years old. Cele said these were some of the reasons that youth in particular were the target for this event.
“We would like to invite everyone, but the youth especially are the target. They are the future of this country and clearly we are raising them wrong. The teenage pregnancy statistics and school drop-out statists are absolutely shocking and point to a crisis,” said Cele. The event will be held at the Pimville Community Centre on Wednesday and is scheduled to start at 10 am.
 Follow Us Here:Â
Catch the latest news by visiting our other platforms:
