Training for Rahmah Secondary School and other Community Groups in HIV/AIDS prevention-KACCAD Third Quarter Newsletter

HIV/AIDS Affects Our Community, originally uploaded by amanda.milholland.

This quarter we experienced one more great success with our education program. Since completion of the two HIV/AIDS teacher’s trainings last quarter, we have visited or called 22 out of the 30 participating schools to check up on the progress of participants in bringing their skills and information gained back to their students. Of the 23 schools contacted, all but three have been actively involved in student and/or teacher sensitization. Schools contacted reported that the teachers were providing HIV/AIDS sensitization through assemblies, classes, teachers meetings and through clubs. One of the schools, Rahmah Secondary School on Entebbe Road, asked for our assistance training the rest of their teachers at their own expense. Teachers from this newly established school were informed of the teachers training we did through the Wakiso District Deputy Health Director. The headmaster of the school attended the second teacher’s training in Wakiso and then requested our assistance training the rest of his staff. We conducted a training for their teachers, parents and students, about 30 people, at the schools on August 6th. It is clear from the involvement of the majority of participating schools in HIV/AIDS programs and establishment of new programs that teachers valued the training and information presented.

Another indicator of the program’s success was that I was invited to be the guest of honor on July 11th at a parent’s HIV/AIDS sensitization music, dance and drama event hosted by Oasis Francee Secondary School in Ntinda, Kampala. This event was organized by one of the participants of the Wakiso District teachers training. Students who were coached in part by this teacher, a biology teacher who works at three schools in Wakiso District, performed dramas and dances of their own creation about HIV/AIDS as well as some traditional songs and modern dancing performed to pop-music. The dramas they created featured students getting infected with HIV/AIDS by having sex with older men, people having sex for things or money, and also people choosing to avoid sex and go for HIV testing. The original songs and dances were especially well done and showed good student HIV/AIDS awareness. The invitation to the event as well as the quality of the performances and their content gave a great example of how one teacher has used skills he gained at the teacher’s training to reach hundreds of students as well as parents and community members.

Our work in HIV/AIDS prevention this quarter also reached the general community. We received a donation from Songliness Choir of Port Townsend, WA at the end of last quarter. We used this to provide three voluntary HIV/AIDS counseling and testing (VCT) events in Wakiso District. Through these events we were able to test 227 people for HIV. Of the people tested 17 tested HIV positive. We continue to see a lot of community interest in our VCT program. We have received requests from several of the schools as well as villages for VCT services. At the same time, this program requires money for space rental, transportation and payment of AIDS Information Center counselors and technicians. Costs for space rental and transportation would be eliminated with the construction of our proposed community/volunteer center. As we are preparing to lay the foundation bricks for the center this next quarter, we hope to expand this program in the future.