The week of February 13 is STI/Condom and pregnancy week in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan area. It is also known as "Condom Week." The idea is to capitalize on Valentine's day week to promote safe sex through proper and consistent use of condoms; getting tested for HIV and STIs (Sexually transmitted diseases); encouraging faithfulness and abstinence as a means of avoiding HIV.
The theme this year is "Lead and Unite to strengthen reproductive health." - and the sub theme is "Love me enough to protect me from STI's and unwanted pregnancy."
Various events have been hosted by the ATICC HIV/AIDS Unit, an initiative established by the local metro municipality to collaborate with organizations in the metro and surrounding areas focusing on the HIV/AIDS response. ATICC stands for AIDS Training, Information and Counselling Centre (ATICC)
Yesterday evening, the staff and 7 of our coaches attended a "Trucking Wellness" clinic at the Motherwell truck-stop point*. The idea is to bring awareness and encouragement to truck drivers who are seen as a high risk group as far as HIV contraction goes. The amount of traveling they do exposes them to the temptation of sexual encounters for money. Prostitution is rife in such settings, and an initiative like this aims to promote condom use. Although this is not a demographic GRS normally works with, we were happy to attend and our coaches led a Skillz activity (Find the Ball) with attendees. There were other activities and messages imparted by other organizations followed by a braai/barbecue for all in attendance.
I want to say the event was beneficial for the handful of truckers that were in attendance, but like all things in life - the real difference is in the heat of the moment when decisions are left to the individual. During the event one of the truck drivers spoke up, thanking the organizations for taking the time to spread the word about condoms to him and his colleagues but he did raise a concern about coverage of such awareness programs. He urged our organization and others to go to smaller towns with the same messages, and events in the interest of all involved. A worthy statement, that I hope was heard and perhaps more will be done to reach more marginalized areas in the country.
* The Trucker Wellness clinic operates under the auspices of the Road Freight Association that provides support services for the road freight industry throughout the country. The representative of the RFA was a guest speaker and he stated the importance of such an event, as HIV/AIDS has negatively impacted an industry that transports 80% of goods in the economy he reminded us.
Showing posts with label aids conference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aids conference. Show all posts
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
HIV Counseling and Testing
Last April the government of South Africa launched a new upscaled HIV treatment & prevention plan. Rumblings of actual implementation of the program now are coming up and there is a certain degree of controversy over the efficacy of the particular plan to intoduce HIV Counseling and testing in schools. Basically this would be a plan to avail voluntary counselling and testing at schools on weekends and holidays starting in March.
Most criticism has come from those concerned about the psychological effects on school kids should they test positive. There is no clear cut way of dealing with this particular issue it seems and certain commentators are predicting disastrous consequences that would derail any benefit to be gained from the program. Grassroot Soccer is closely watching developments in this are, since we work directly in schools with students that will directly be affected by this program. One hopes that should the program go on, the right means of addressing positive results are in place. Some have suggested pushing the program forward in order to allow for proper research and planning for a response is done.
Most criticism has come from those concerned about the psychological effects on school kids should they test positive. There is no clear cut way of dealing with this particular issue it seems and certain commentators are predicting disastrous consequences that would derail any benefit to be gained from the program. Grassroot Soccer is closely watching developments in this are, since we work directly in schools with students that will directly be affected by this program. One hopes that should the program go on, the right means of addressing positive results are in place. Some have suggested pushing the program forward in order to allow for proper research and planning for a response is done.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
HCT
Play to Win, Test to live!
This was the tagline to our Heritage Day HCT. The whole Port Elizabeth Staff: coaches, interns, staff and site-coordinator were assigned roles in this major holiday event based on GRS principles. It truly was Grassroot Soccer at work.
Often you read about the millions of people that play the game informally at the grassroot level and I have played there most of my life. This event was an opportunity for an organization that does social profit work such as ours to harness the popularity of the game among the youth in the area to provide them with some education (on HIV/AIDS), an opportunity to test for the disease and play the game they love.
My direct supervisor Titie was in charge of the overall planning of the event, a big big job considering our target of getting 250 players and community members tested. As interns we were assigned various roles before and during the tournament, doing our best to support her. It was perhaps a little more difficult to do considering the fact that we are still figuring out the lay of the land, and we did lack experience with an event quite like this one. We gave it our best though, and I think our multicultural intern team did a sterling job.
New Start and the South African Health Department were our testing partners; we bought 300 HIV testing kits and planned on other various logistics for the day. This included lunch, snacks, t-shirts, advertising, venue, media, entertainment and recruitment of players. It was certainly a bit of a squeeze leading up to the tournament, but it was great to see the kick off of the tournament as kids from Zwide, and surrounding townships.
The day's schedule, which I played a part in planning was based on teams rotating between playing football, participating in Find The Ball (led by several GRS coaches) and if they chose to - getting tested for HIV. Things started off a bit hairy, as teams arrived slightly later than planned and some of the testers were not fully prepared at the assigned start time. We did however get things started in decent time and as soon as the DJ got his music going the tournament was well and truly on! It was an explosion of house, all day!
Part of the plan of the tournament was to attract passing members of the public, in addition to the +100 kids playing in the tournament. I was impressed by the spirit displayed by the teams participating in the tournament. The kids were well aware of the fact that testing was an essential part of their success in the tournament and there was more than a few cases of teams coming to test together as teams. There was lots of dancing, singing and healthy competition as the kids were engrossed in a great day out of organized fun!
Find the Ball was an important activity, seeing as it highlights the important point that HIV cannot be detected from someone's appearance. We made sure that on the schedule that each team did Find the Ball before they tested. I personally feel that more educational opportunities are necessary in terms of future HCT's.
The football itself was a joy to watch. We pushed to involve 15 to 17 year olds, but there were more than a few players outside of this range. Part of the problem was partnering organizations struggling to find participants in the age group therefore enlisting younger and sometimes older kids. It worked out in the end, and the tournament went without too much incident involving the difference in age.
As for testing, the most important part of the day, we managed to get 189 people tested overall, and although we haven't received the full breakdown yet, we do know that 5 people tested positive for HIV. I was in charge of the testing area on the day, as far as directing people to the right places and my guess would be that 100 to 110 players were tested on the day (updates to follow as soon as I have them).
Every individual who tested received pre and post test counseling which is crucial when dealing with something as important as the result of an HIV test. Each person also received a t-shirt which was a token of their participation in our event. In my eyes this is another means of spreading the name of our organization in the community, as we seek to expand our work in the community. The tagline, Play to Win, Test to live! was also on the T-shirt, another way to encourage more people to know their HIV status in an era of epidemic.The individuals who would have tested positive would also be refereed to local resources available to help them live healthy lives. This includes a local HCT center, providing access to counseling and Antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) which are free to the public. I can only hope that these individuals as hurt as they may be by the news will eventually be aided by this knowledge as they seek to live their lives differently.
The HCT was a lesson in community engagement for me, and I think that there needs to be even more community based events where further opportunities to educate, inspire and provide access to services to communities that are plagued by lack. I was proud to be part of this event, and I look forward to playing a role in the next one.
Pictures........
This was the tagline to our Heritage Day HCT. The whole Port Elizabeth Staff: coaches, interns, staff and site-coordinator were assigned roles in this major holiday event based on GRS principles. It truly was Grassroot Soccer at work.
Often you read about the millions of people that play the game informally at the grassroot level and I have played there most of my life. This event was an opportunity for an organization that does social profit work such as ours to harness the popularity of the game among the youth in the area to provide them with some education (on HIV/AIDS), an opportunity to test for the disease and play the game they love.
My direct supervisor Titie was in charge of the overall planning of the event, a big big job considering our target of getting 250 players and community members tested. As interns we were assigned various roles before and during the tournament, doing our best to support her. It was perhaps a little more difficult to do considering the fact that we are still figuring out the lay of the land, and we did lack experience with an event quite like this one. We gave it our best though, and I think our multicultural intern team did a sterling job.
New Start and the South African Health Department were our testing partners; we bought 300 HIV testing kits and planned on other various logistics for the day. This included lunch, snacks, t-shirts, advertising, venue, media, entertainment and recruitment of players. It was certainly a bit of a squeeze leading up to the tournament, but it was great to see the kick off of the tournament as kids from Zwide, and surrounding townships.
The day's schedule, which I played a part in planning was based on teams rotating between playing football, participating in Find The Ball (led by several GRS coaches) and if they chose to - getting tested for HIV. Things started off a bit hairy, as teams arrived slightly later than planned and some of the testers were not fully prepared at the assigned start time. We did however get things started in decent time and as soon as the DJ got his music going the tournament was well and truly on! It was an explosion of house, all day!
Part of the plan of the tournament was to attract passing members of the public, in addition to the +100 kids playing in the tournament. I was impressed by the spirit displayed by the teams participating in the tournament. The kids were well aware of the fact that testing was an essential part of their success in the tournament and there was more than a few cases of teams coming to test together as teams. There was lots of dancing, singing and healthy competition as the kids were engrossed in a great day out of organized fun!
Find the Ball was an important activity, seeing as it highlights the important point that HIV cannot be detected from someone's appearance. We made sure that on the schedule that each team did Find the Ball before they tested. I personally feel that more educational opportunities are necessary in terms of future HCT's.
The football itself was a joy to watch. We pushed to involve 15 to 17 year olds, but there were more than a few players outside of this range. Part of the problem was partnering organizations struggling to find participants in the age group therefore enlisting younger and sometimes older kids. It worked out in the end, and the tournament went without too much incident involving the difference in age.
As for testing, the most important part of the day, we managed to get 189 people tested overall, and although we haven't received the full breakdown yet, we do know that 5 people tested positive for HIV. I was in charge of the testing area on the day, as far as directing people to the right places and my guess would be that 100 to 110 players were tested on the day (updates to follow as soon as I have them).
Every individual who tested received pre and post test counseling which is crucial when dealing with something as important as the result of an HIV test. Each person also received a t-shirt which was a token of their participation in our event. In my eyes this is another means of spreading the name of our organization in the community, as we seek to expand our work in the community. The tagline, Play to Win, Test to live! was also on the T-shirt, another way to encourage more people to know their HIV status in an era of epidemic.The individuals who would have tested positive would also be refereed to local resources available to help them live healthy lives. This includes a local HCT center, providing access to counseling and Antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) which are free to the public. I can only hope that these individuals as hurt as they may be by the news will eventually be aided by this knowledge as they seek to live their lives differently.
The HCT was a lesson in community engagement for me, and I think that there needs to be even more community based events where further opportunities to educate, inspire and provide access to services to communities that are plagued by lack. I was proud to be part of this event, and I look forward to playing a role in the next one.
Pictures........
The Poster
Find The Ball
Interns with our big boss Mpumi (sunglasses) and Thamie, far right.
Some of the early birds
Skillz Banner
Some of the action from the boys' final.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
New HIV infections declining!
According to UNAIDS, Sub-Saharan Africa is leading the decline in incidents of new HIV cases. It is worth noting that the region still has the highest concentration of infections which makes these declines very significant. One hopes that continued efforts to combat the disease will see further declines going forward. Check out the story and report here.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Using football for HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa: CSI report
Before I started working with Grassroot Soccer through the Lose The Shoes Soccer tournament back 2 Springs ago (April 2009), I wasn’t aware of very many programs that were using football as a means to engage kids in disease prevention interventions like what GRS does. I was aware of football teams and personalities being heavily involved in charities, but I never saw the game being used in an actual curriculum, such as in Skillz. It turns out that this field is getting bigger and bigger, the best part being that research is proving that it works!
According to streetfootballworld, ‘A new study by Coxswain Social Investment, entitled “Using Football for HIV/AIDS Prevention in Africa”, has found that football-based programmes are uniquely successful in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS.’ This is a huge revelation for an organization like Grassroot Soccer and others scattered around the continent of Africa doing similar work. Not that evidence hasn’t already justified the work GRS does, it is just especially heartening to see that there is further evidence that these programs are making an impact. The ultimate test will of course be the passage of time.
I look forward to seeing a future where kids who have been through these programs can stand up and say how important these intervention have been in their lives as HIV infection rates drop in generations to come.
Love life - South Africa's national HIV prevention initiative for young people.
Kicking Aids Out - global network with network organizations, partners and associates operating in many sub-Saharan African countries.
Whizzkids United - an organization using football as a means to teach boys and girls essential life skills designed to enable healthy behavioral change.
Other organizations using football to promote positive social change:
Play 31 brings together people who have been split by armed conflict.
Alive and Kicking manufactures sports balls to provide balls for children, create jobs for adults and promote health education through sport.
Foot Solidaire seeks out and assists abandoned young soccer players around Europe whose dreams have been placed in the hands of opportunistic agents.
Coaches Across Continents helps young people around the world learn practical coaching and leadership skills that benefit their local communities.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
stats telling a story..
Casually looking through nationmaster.com*, a great resource for aggregating stats on almost every country in the world depending on availability of information I was struck by one particular set of stats. The HIV prevalence rates among adults was overwhelmingly dominated by African countries. Its not like this was news to me, I have known this for as long as I can remember. I guess it was more telling after looking at other sets of statistics and seeing African countries occupying the bottom and middle of wealth per capita lists and Olympic achievement tables to name a couple. Compared to the literacy rates of African countries the HIV prevalence rate is put into perspective. Literacy rates on the continent range between 19% to 85%. It is important to note that countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe with high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates do have very literate populations. The remaining percentage of illiterate people in these countries and other sub-Saharan African countries (many from rural areas) need programs like Grassroot Soccer and Kick for life to reach them with their important hands on educational programs. Without proactive work such as this, these people may never be reached.
Literacy stands to improve as the continent picks itself up from years of mismanagement, natural disasters and war in some places. For now the work of those on the ground working to fight diseases like HIV/AIDS through hands on programs like Grassroot Soccer's the Skillz program need to be supported!
*The site compiles information from various sources in an easy and understandable fashion. You can even have some info appear as a graph. The site compiles info ranging from Olympic performance of countries to a basic list of natural resources for every country in the world.
Literacy stands to improve as the continent picks itself up from years of mismanagement, natural disasters and war in some places. For now the work of those on the ground working to fight diseases like HIV/AIDS through hands on programs like Grassroot Soccer's the Skillz program need to be supported!
*The site compiles information from various sources in an easy and understandable fashion. You can even have some info appear as a graph. The site compiles info ranging from Olympic performance of countries to a basic list of natural resources for every country in the world.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Lion Hearts Arise!
In less than a month I will be settling into my new site, in Port Elizabeth. My Field Internship with Grassroot Soccer's Programs division begins!
I am very grateful for all the support I have received from readers like you. I have managed to raise enough to fly to South Africa, and cover initial expenses associated with the internship (See left pane for details). The comments and feedback I have been receiving, from friends, family, supporters and observers alike has been inspirational. The more I hear from people the more responsible I feel. I am part of an organization doing innovative work in dealing with one of mankind's biggest challenges. I firmly believe in the work the organization does and I hope to be able to reflect on it via this blog. Thank you for your support, and keep supporting worthy causes! We needs hearts of lions to conquer the disasters of today!
Question: If your life expectancy was a little over 30, would you fight back?
Ever since, I was a little boy, the lion has always been my favorite animal. In high school I was in a dorm (or House as we called them) whose emblem was "Shumba" (lion in my native Shona language) Today I still hold affection, for the most regal of beasts in the African Savannah where conditions can be harsh, but survivors thrive and adapt. Before I start likening HIV/AIDS to a lion's prey I would like to say that I believe in fighting the disease head on with no fear and with courage. All the great work being done around the world, especially on the African continent is admirable. Uganda and Botswana have seen significant drops in infection rates, and work to engage the youth and help those already infected is extremely important. This disease will not be beaten by half steps, false promises and weak action. It rather needs conscious, deliberate and bold efforts to make it history. A lot of it points to a change in behavior on an individual level, but education to spur these individual choices is important too. I'll borrow a phrase from Hans Rosling, who refuses to call himself an optimist or a pessimist but a possibilist.
Optimism sometimes leads us to pass of responsibility to others and pessimism tends to drive people to do nothing, neither is beneficial to the hundreds of thousands of children or people without access to HIV/AIDS education who may contract the disease because of a lack of adequate knowledge.
I want to thank you for reading this post to the end, which means you care. Lets strive to be possibilists and make things happen where we are, it all counts. Check out the Grassroot Soccer website and check out the important work they are doing to reach children in sub-Saharan Africa. Whatever charity you choose to support or action you take, you are actively investing in the possibility of less and less people becoming infected by the scourge to our society that is HIV AIDS.
Let lion hearts arise and win!
Before you go! Check out this quote from Abraham Lincoln, I believe it is extremely relevant in the present discussion on AIDS:
It is not “can any of us imagine better?” but, “can we all do better?” The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise — with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.' Abraham Lincoln
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Nike #ENDAIDS Campaign
Nike paints a picture of what the future could look like, we can all "Write the Future" by supporting organizations like Grassroot Soccer:
Monday, July 19, 2010
The International AIDS conference.
The International AIDS conference began yesterday in Vienna. The International AIDS Society which hosts the biannual conference focuses on education, networking and the promotion of best practices in the response to HIV/AIDS. The conferences provide opportunities to share experience, and increase the knowledge and expertise of professionals working in HIV/AIDS. Grassroot Soccer will be represented at the conference as a key player in the fight against HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.
The conference is the largest regular conference on any health or development issue, sensible considering the impact the HIV virus has had across the world.
I looked around the web to find out more about the conference and where the fight against HIV/AIDS is at the moment:
You can check out the conference website here.
Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, blogs about A Roadmap of HIV Prevention here.
AIDS activists exhort world leaders to fix the broken promises made in prior years on providing AIDS care and drugs to those who need it most.
Video of activists upstaging the opening ceremony of the conference, again highlighting "broken promises" by world leaders:
The Youth version of the 2010 conference will be based in Vienna too, here is their wensite.
Reuters video highlighting the important work Voluntary Testing and Counseling centers (VCTs) do for the deaf in Kenya:
Press release from the GRS website:
"A new study, released by Coxswain Social Investment, finds football programs are uniquely successful in preventing the spread of HIV. As World Cup mania winds down and preparations for the International AIDS Conference accelerate, this is a significant finding for the African continent.
The study, “Using Football for HIV/AIDS Prevention in Africa”, was conducted in the months leading up to the World Cup. The question for the researchers was, “Football has tremendous convening power, but do football‐based programs really make a difference in preventing HIV?” According to the study, the answer is unequivocally ‐ yes.
Most importantly, the study found football programs can lead to profound behavior change, which is the key to prevention. All successful cases of reversing national HIV epidemics involved widespread changes in behavior.
The study also highlighted that football programs are successful with hard‐to‐reach audiences and at tackling sensitive issues within the safety of the team. Because of its appeal to young audiences, football can reach those most at risk. Half of all new infections in sub‐Saharan Africa occur between the ages of 15 and 24.
Coxswain Social Investment (CSI+) conducted the study using interviews, research, and survey questionnaires. While it is not a UNAIDS study, experts from UNAIDS contributed their time, experience, and resources to the evaluation. It is a legacy product of the Football for an HIV‐Free Generation Initiative. Charlotte Obidairo will represent CSI+ at the 2010 International AIDS Conference in Vienna.
Download the study here: http://www.coxsi.com/News.html
The United States HIV/AIDS Strategy (domestic focus):
The conference is the largest regular conference on any health or development issue, sensible considering the impact the HIV virus has had across the world.
I looked around the web to find out more about the conference and where the fight against HIV/AIDS is at the moment:
You can check out the conference website here.
Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, blogs about A Roadmap of HIV Prevention here.
AIDS activists exhort world leaders to fix the broken promises made in prior years on providing AIDS care and drugs to those who need it most.
Video of activists upstaging the opening ceremony of the conference, again highlighting "broken promises" by world leaders:
The Youth version of the 2010 conference will be based in Vienna too, here is their wensite.
Reuters video highlighting the important work Voluntary Testing and Counseling centers (VCTs) do for the deaf in Kenya:
Press release from the GRS website:
"A new study, released by Coxswain Social Investment, finds football programs are uniquely successful in preventing the spread of HIV. As World Cup mania winds down and preparations for the International AIDS Conference accelerate, this is a significant finding for the African continent.
The study, “Using Football for HIV/AIDS Prevention in Africa”, was conducted in the months leading up to the World Cup. The question for the researchers was, “Football has tremendous convening power, but do football‐based programs really make a difference in preventing HIV?” According to the study, the answer is unequivocally ‐ yes.
Most importantly, the study found football programs can lead to profound behavior change, which is the key to prevention. All successful cases of reversing national HIV epidemics involved widespread changes in behavior.
The study also highlighted that football programs are successful with hard‐to‐reach audiences and at tackling sensitive issues within the safety of the team. Because of its appeal to young audiences, football can reach those most at risk. Half of all new infections in sub‐Saharan Africa occur between the ages of 15 and 24.
Coxswain Social Investment (CSI+) conducted the study using interviews, research, and survey questionnaires. While it is not a UNAIDS study, experts from UNAIDS contributed their time, experience, and resources to the evaluation. It is a legacy product of the Football for an HIV‐Free Generation Initiative. Charlotte Obidairo will represent CSI+ at the 2010 International AIDS Conference in Vienna.
Download the study here: http://www.coxsi.com/News.html
The United States HIV/AIDS Strategy (domestic focus):
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