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Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
MS Dorothy Mhlawuli from Nqakala area in Mbembesi, Matabeleland North province is a mentor for young girls and adolescents under the Sista2Sista programme being implemented by the National Aids Council (NAC).
She mentors 50 girls at a time that she takes through lessons on HIV and Aids and various behaviour change initiatives for a year. The programme, she said, has managed to model the young women who are at risk of getting HIV infections and getting early unwanted pregnancies to know their status, practice safe sex and desist from risky behaviour.
“The girls now know how to differentiate between right and wrong. A number of them are witnesses to the many girls who have fallen off the track and relate very well with the experiences. We have also seen a decrease in early pregnancies and marriages since we started this programme. We are grateful that the girls are now armed with information and also, they have access to things like sanitary pads that they never used to have,” she said.
Ms Mhlawuli said they were also educating girls who were out of school giving them the same health education and ensuring they return to school.
The mentor said even members of the community want the programme to continue as they were noticing behaviour change in the young girls. A beneficiary of the programme, Sharon Mlambo who resides in Nqakala area said the Sista2Sista programme had helped her change her life for the better.
“I never used to respect my elders before I started this programme, I did not know that as a young lady I also have the responsibility of getting tested for HIV and know my status. I have been taught how to prevent HIV infections, how to respect the elderly and many more. We have been assisted with school uniforms, books and we now go to school wearing shoes unlike before when we did not have much,” she said.
National Aids Council Umguza District Aids Co-ordinator Mr Mongiwabesuthu Ngwenya said the district was heavily burdened with new HIV infections from young girls. Most cases are said to be evolving around gold mining areas.
“We are seeing people flocking from other districts and even other provinces in search of gold. Umguza also has a large number of farms and farming activities are attracting more people to areas like Mandalay and Spring Range where we have farming compounds housing a number of people in the same area and it is such kind of living conditions that spread HIV,” he said.
Mr Ngwenya said economic activities in the farming and mining communities were fuelling sex work in the district. Adolescent girls and young women and those from child-headed families also make a large number of people who are affected by HIV and are into sex work.
“Amakorokoza solicit for sex from many vulnerable girls and because of poverty they find themselves trading their bodies for money and food,” said Mr Ngwenya.
He said it was in response to the issues above that NAC came up with a cohort based peer led initiative — the Sista2Sista programme.
“We have seen that it is actually working. When we recruited them at the beginning of the year we took them (50 girls) through a curriculum of HIV prevention information, prevention, screening and we refer those that need HIV services like testing, Pre Exposure Prophylaxis, condoms and other related services related to HIV. At the end of the year we recruit another group of people,” said Mr Ngwenya.
He said when the girls go through the programme they become empowered young women and girls who can withstand community pressures that expose them to HIV infection. Umguza District also has a male engagement programme.
According to the NAC, the district has more males than females in terms of population composition because of mining activities. The male engagements also assist them with information about HIV and just like the one for females, they are taken through sessions and are encouraged to seek health services. @NyembeziMu
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