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Sensitizing the Community When it was first opened experienced a variety of problems. Local beliefs, stigma, relationships with traditional leaders and healers and traditional practices put people at risk and shadowed people from realizing how important knowing your HIV status is. A tremendous amount of work was done and continues to be done to sensitize the community on high risk behavior, HIV stigma and discrimination and the importance of VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing). The centre uses different types of media to try and reach the whole community, even those that live in the furthest most remote villages. |
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The drama group has been running since February 2005 and goes out once a week to present sketches and performances to school children of all ages. The group is made up of 3 men and 6 women. Their performances serve to raise awareness about HIV & AIDS, stigma, and child abuse. We have found that drama is a particularly good way to raise awareness about sensitive issues in a way that can be enjoyable for children of all ages.
HBC works very closely with Radio Chikuni. The majority of the community has access to a radio so it is the perfect way to both educate people and let them know the various activities of the HBC team. Regular announcements are put out on the radio to inform people about where HBC will be visiting in the near future, the services they will be offering, recent additions to the resource room and when and where VCT will be available. Adverts and announcements are only a small part of how the radio station works with HBC. Radio programs, interviews and soaps written and produced by HBC staff, PLWHAs, counselors and external teams are aired on a weekly basis.
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Videos are shown at the centre and there is also a mobile team that shows videos at
the village schools once per week. The videos are selected from a catalogue
of over 50 that we now have at HBC. They address a number of different
issues and target a variety of different audiences, school children as
well as older members of the community. It is now the norm for a positive
person or a counselor to go with the video team to talk to the audience
after the show and review the key issues brought up.
Workshops are held throughout the year
and target different people within the community. Some target traditional
leaders (village headmen), youths, care givers, counselors and all of
the workshops serve to educate the people on how they can better fulfill
there role in society. The workshops can cover a number of different
topics. Some address garden maintenance, others are job/group specific.
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