Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, [email protected]
Men in Matabeleland South have began changing attitudes ane embracing some HIV and Aids intervention programmes that are being rolled out across the province.
Government through the National Aids Council is implementing the Community ART Refill Groups [CARG] and Behaviour Change Community Model [BCCM] among others in all the seven districts.
For years, the fight against HIV in the province was seen as women’s work.
However, things have started turning for the better with more men now getting tested and discussing issues relating to HIV and Aids freely.
NAC provincial manager, Mr Mgcini Ncube told journalists on a media tour to Matobo and Beitbridge districts that they were seeing improvements in the communities.
He said they were establishing a number of peer groups where men were now actively participating in.
In seperate interviews men from Simpane in Ward 4, Matobo district said the BCCM programme has helped prevent an increase in new cases of HIV infections.
“We now have more information about HIV and Aids in our community, we have been attending NAC outreach programmes,” said Mr Thandani Ncube a member of the Sicelo Mine BCCM group.
He said more men in the area were now able to walk into clinics for testing, joining support groups, and speaking openly about HIV in community meetings.
Mr Ncube said the shift was being driven by targeted outreach programmes.
“Through the BCCM programme, we have been able to discuss more on HIV related issues with our peers. This is bringing back confidence in men and we appreciate this programme considering that we live in this area where we have many sexually active people who include artisinal miners and commercial sex workers,” said Killion Mguni.
Another Villager from the same area Mr Irvine Moyo said the male engagement programmes was contributing to a change of bahaviour especialy on the challenge of age mixing involving old men dating or marrying young girls.
In Matobo Ward 16, senior village head Mr Charles Mhlanga of Silozwe area said men in the area were now leaving risky behaviours that were previously pushing the spike in new HIV infections.
He said they have held many sessions discussing issues relating to voluntary male circumcision, gender norms and couples testings.
Mr Aifheli Sibanda from Mtetengwe in Beitbridge Ward 7 said more men were now joining the CARG programme and other support groups.
“In our area, more men are now developing an interest on this programme and I encourage more to join and get fresh ideas on how to live positively with HIV and Aids,” said Mr Sibanda.
Chief Matibe of Beitbridge East said they were also rolling out the Not in My Village programme to end child marriages, risky behavioyrs and drugs and substance abuse.
“We are seeing a change in this community, many village heads have embraced the support programmes to end criminal vices such as child sexual abuse among others,” said Chief Matibe
