AIDS education in South Africa

"The programme gave me something that cannot be taken away from me."

Nomhlanhla is well known in the small town of Harding in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She is such a bundle of energy that no-one can resist her when she's got a good idea.

Since doing a course in leadership and development run by the ecumenical organisation JEP, a CAFOD partner, Nomhlanhla's idea is to get together with other young women to identify problems in the community.

From single mothers to school drop-outs, everyone makes a contribution.

AIDS an urgent problem

They quickly agreed that HIV/AIDS was an urgent problem, especially for young women in this area, where abuse by men is widespread.

It is a shocking fact that in their province, one in three pregnant women test positive for HIV. South Africa now has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world.

"It is a very tough task, but people need our support," say Nomhlanhla and her friends.

A dynamic approach

Taking a dynamic approach to health education, they set up the Kwamachi children's dance group, for schoolchildren aged 13 and under.

Using familiar Zulu songs, they change the words into hard-hitting facts about HIV and AIDS.

"It's a good way of getting the message across in a rural, traditional community," says CAFOD's Jackie Reeve.
Nomhlanhla also belongs to an income-generating craft group, some of whom are living with HIV/AIDS.

While teaching each other to make jewellery, mats and clothes, they can discuss HIV and AIDS in an atmosphere of trust and support.

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