THE HIV&ME FRONTLINE

HIV&Me's trainers spend more time in South Africa’s schools, implementing the program and engaging stakeholders, than they do in the office. Recently Wilmos Mafuse and Yolanda Ngubo returned from a series of projects in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape, so we grabbed the opportunity to ask them a few questions about their experiences.

How and when did you first start working with HIV education and HIV&Me specifically?

Willie: My background in education dates back to 1997 where I started off as a lecturer in Management Studies and Business Ethics. I joined the HIV & Me program in 2008 as a facilitator. As a social sciences person, this was a real fit for me since I enjoy working with people in corporate social responsibility and community development.

Yolanda: I started working with HIV education in 2005 in a company where we had to set up a training component. Within that training component, I had to introduce HIV awareness. This is when I discovered where my passion is and I fell in love with HIV education. I soon extended my services to other organizations. In January 2010, I was fortunate to have been introduced to HIV&Me. I can recall from my interview with HIV&Me, I even said to the panel, please allow an opportunity to grow with HIV and AIDS awareness.

What have you learned personally during your time with HIV&Me?

Yolanda: I have learned that through this program a platform for behavioral change and self discovery has been created to both educators and learners. I have also learned that through knowledge, motivation and perseverance change is possible. My personal growth and development have moved to a higher level in a very short space of time.

Willie: As I travel around the country doing my workshops, training sessions and launches I have noted that we might be different in background, race or creed but when it comes to HIV & Aids our challenges and concerns are the same. HIV & Aids brings us together as one people.

For us to conquer it we need to light one candle and all of us must focus on it, doing the same strategic plans consistently. I have learned that the HIV & Aids pandemic does not affect one particular group of people but touches everyone. That means everyone should take their rightful position in fighting the disease.

What do you enjoy particularly about your work?

Willie: The co-operation I get at the schools I visit from principals, educators and learners as we share knowledge on HIV & Aids. I also appreciate the support I get from the Departments of Education for the various provinces. The memories of successful training sessions and launches make me complete. I enjoy the feedback from learners whenever I have some spare time to chat with them - so innocent, but eager to learn more about the ups and downs of life. I love it when we chat about real issues. Giving people a life through knowledge uplifts me all the time. There is meaning in what I do.

Yolanda: I really enjoy the fact that I am having a positive impact on people’s lives. My best moments are when both educators and learners realize what HIV does to our bodies, how it is transmitted and then they get motivated to get tested and also start to realize the importance of protecting their bodies. It’s also wonderful to be working with different people on a daily basis.

What makes HIV&Me Special?

Yolanda: I would say that the content of the material is very unique. It focuses on various aspects that relate to a person and also focuses on the relationship between the body and HIV. The structure and approach of lessons is very exciting for the learners. But really it is the passionate, dedicated and supportive team. It would not be possible to go out there and do my best had it not been for the unity of team.

Willie: It is special because it is different in the sense that it is sustainable. It does not only focus on HIV & Aids as just a disease, it touches on both the psycho-social aspects and biomedical elements of the disease. These issues are dealt with in a simplified language which allows both learned and lay people to have an in-depth understanding of HIV & Aids issues. It allows everyone in society to play their role in sharing information about HIV & Aids.

Tell us a bit about the challenges that schools in South Africa in general, but also specifically with regard to HIV & Aids education.

Willie: The main challenge is the sensitivity and emotional aspect associated with HIV & Aids when presenting the lessons.

When you talk about HIV & Aids, learners are reminded of their loved ones who may be infected with the disease. That makes it difficult to carry on with the lesson since some learners may cry or even leave the classroom because they would have been reminded about an infected person. This is when the HIV&Me educator material comes in handy, since it addresses such situations.

Another challenge which a lot of schools have is the lack of support from the parents. It seems the majority of parents are leaving everything to the educator when it comes to assisting learners both in their academic progress as well as real life issues. That leaves the educator overworked and sometimes even overwhelmed with pressure on how to assist the learner.

Educators are also faced with the challenge of discipline in the classroom, orphaned children, child headed families, HIV positive learners and abused learners together with rape survivors. Most educators find it challenging to deal with such cases. HIV&Me tries to assist by giving schools a referral list of professional institutions where professional help can be sought.

Yolanda: Schools are currently packed with learners that have experienced some form of sexual abuse. There are educators that are fortunate enough to be aware of the situation, but it happens at times that these learners do not get any assistance. Teenage pregnancy is another challenge faced in many schools. We also find that in certain areas, perhaps because of cultural beliefs, there is resistance to HIV education. This prevents the learners from sharing knowledge about HIV with their families.

What are your hopes for HIV&Me going into the future?

Yolanda: I hope that HIV&Me can build on the impact they are having on nation building and strive to do more, reach even more schools, reach more learners.

Willie: Funding and resources permitting, I wish all the schools could be given a chance to take part in the HIV&Me Teacher Training Program so that all learners are fully equipped with knowledge on how to deal with HIV whether affected or infected. I would like HIV&Me to grow and link up with the corporate world in fighting against HIV, if possible also by focusing on self reliance programs whereby learners are taught basic skills in agriculture and other technical subjects. I believe that would go a long way in the lives of the learners. They can face the world with coping skills, entrepreneurial skills and technical skills. The school is the best ground to acquire all these skills and it is our role as adults, educators, and the corporate world to make this dream a reality.