Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya in PLUMTREE
THE National AIDS Council’s (NAC) Sista2Sista programme is transforming the lives of young girls in rural Mangwe and Bulilima districts in Matabeleland South Province.
The initiative provides mentorship, education, and support to vulnerable adolescent girls, empowering them to make informed decisions about their health, well-being, and future.
In these districts, the programme has been instrumental in reducing school dropout rates, early teenage pregnancies, and gender-based domestic violence.
According to the NAC programme assistant for Mangwe District, Ms Elenny Mpofu, the girls participating in the program receive essential lessons on sexual and reproductive health, financial literacy, and strategies for dealing with challenging social situations.
She said the programme is targeting girls from the age of 10 years to 24 years.
“We have been able to bring hope to these girls, mostly those out of school who have had a fresh start to life,” said Ms Mpofu.
“In these mentorship clubs, the girls are mentored by their peers for 12 months and they learn different life skills.
“At the same time, they get tested for HIV and they also influence good sexual behaviour among their age mates.
“The common challenging issues here in Mangwe are a rise in teenage pregnancies and school dropouts.
“So with this Sista 2 Sista programme we have noted a drastic change as the community warms up to NAC’s intervention strategies.”
She said in Mangwe, they had a total of 765 girls under the initiative. Ms Mpofu said these include those with disabilities since the programme also promotes an inclusive strategy.
She said following the mentorship, some girls had returned to school while others were now venturing into various economic activities.
“I have eight Ordinary Levels and 13 points at the Advanced level,” said 22-year-old Nomsa Nleya from Mangwe ward 12.
“I dropped out of school after falling pregnant. So after joining the Sista 2 Sista initiative, I revived my dream of studying for a course in Electrical Engineering. I will be going to college next year.”
Another beneficiary, Omphile Ndlovu, said she had learnt the importance of approaching challenges collectively in the community.
She said she had been inspired to go back to school after hearing testmonies from some of her peers.
“This has presented us a great opportunity for us to learn from each other,” Ndlovu said.
Bulilima District Aids Coordinator, Mr Ronald Hanyane, said the use of age mates to mentor each other had helped build confidence in young girls.
The method, he added, was helping to get the message effectively in rural communities.
“When you are a young girl, it is important that you are empowered to make informed decisions that can make or break your life,” he said.
Sanelisiwe Nyathi, mentor in the Bulilima area under Chief Masendu said “So in our group, we have become a big family sharing ideas and now we are engaging in poultry rearing projects among others.”
Mr Herman Nyathi from ward 7 in Bulilima said the community was witnessing a behavour change among girls, especially those who have gone through the Sista 2 Sista mentorship programme.
