BY BRENNA MATENDERE
THE National Aids Council (NAC) has rolled out a programme to fight teenage pregnancies, early marriages and tame sexually transmitted infections in Masvingo’s Zaka district.
The programme has seen clubs in schools known as “sister to sister club” being initiated in the district.
Zaka district Aids co-ordinator (DAC), Annastancia Zendakwaye told journalists during a recent media tour of the district that 10 peer educators were leading the social clubs in schools.
“The clubs are led by a peer educator who is trained. So we have 10 of them which means 10 schools have these clubs. During a session of the club, the peer educator discusses sexual reproductive health issues with the girls,” she said.
“This has helped a lot in trying to reduce HIV-related cases because the girls get life-saving lessors during the sister to sister clubs.”
NAC has also recruited behaviour change male motivators (BCMM) who go into communities and engage male adults on HIV-related issues.
Cheukai Nyika, a BCMM in Zaka district, explained that her work has seen more men softening up on the issue of accessing HIV services.
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“I go into homes and engage men privately on issues like HIV testing, accessing treatment and the need to end unprotected sex with teenagers among others. Since I started the work last year, the number of men who are coming to health centres for HIV services has shot up. Since I am a woman, at first I would meet some challenges, but now the community people now understand me when I am on the line of my duty as a BCMM,” she said.
