By Rex Mphisa
THERE has been an increase in the use of condoms resulting in intermittent shortages at Mawabeni Business Centre, thanks to the outreach and awareness programmes by the National Aids Council (NAC).
Journalists on a National Aids Council media tour last week heard there was only a single carton of condoms left at the clinic which services the centre in the mining community.
Participants at a session organised by NAC volunteers said supplies normally found at beerhalls were unavailable and that was affecting their sex life, putting them at risk.
“There are no condoms in the shops and at times you end up indulging without protection because the need might overwhelm you,” said Langton Moyo.
Moyo works in a beerhall said earlier he would collect boxes of condoms from the clinic to place where customers would help themselves.
At Mawabeni NAC has, like in most parts of Matabeleland South, secured volunteers who educate ordinary people on the effects of HIV and Aids.
They also help with information on anti-retroviral drugs administration as well as encourage people to regularly test for both viral loads or the infection itself.
NAC programmes in Mzingwane are Sista 2 Sista for adolescents girls and young women aged 15 to 24 and the Behaviour Change Community motivators focussing on males aged 15 to 25 years.
The latter seeks expanding rare male participation in HIV programming while Sista 2 Sista tackles teenage pregnancy prevention and the fight against early child marriages and child exploitation.
Umzingwane District Aids coordinator Mduduzi Ngwenya, said engaging boys at a young age is an investmenttowards long-term behaviour change.
“We use two models we are implementing in this district. The Sista2Sista model and the behaviour change community motivators’ programme. The Sista2Sista targets adolescent girls and young women, while the behaviour change community motivators programme focuses on he males,” he said.
He said some programmes are for partners. Behaviour change training takes up to three months because it is a lifetime project.
Umzingwane District currently has an HIV prevalence rate of 13,3 percent against a national rate of 19,8 percent and a provincial rate of 15 percent, with over 8 000 people living with HIV.
Behaviour Change Community Motivater Fikekuhle Moyo said of late people come to her to consult as they are increasingly understanding living with HIV.
“When I started it was slow but now people even approach me in my way to find more information. At first the young men were resistant but as we fight the stigma it is easy to break into conversation, discuss openly about the disease” she said.
“I personally have influenced 300 or more people to either get tested or on adherence. The most important thing is to remove the stigma and once that is done, the hardest part of the war is won,” said Fikekuhle Moyo, an elderly woman.
“I create groups I teach for three months before moving to the next. The shortage of condoms you heard them talk about reflects the uptake of information at the centre,” said Fikekuhle Moyo confidently.
At a mini-session held in the presence of journalists a group of young men seemingly high on beer, surprisingly listened attentively to Fikekuhle Moyo as she went on with her lecture.
Topics during the sessions are widespread covering on various spheres from how to avoid contracting HIV, managing it when afflicted to being their brothers and sister’s keepers when it comes to avoiding spread the virus.
“Do not share syringes or any sharp objects that may have been used by another person. Avoid unprotected sex and if you are on treatment respect the times you take medication,” Fikekuhle Moyo said.
Some interesting questions were posed by the young men with one asking if he can use his beer in place of water to drink anti-retroviral tables.
NAC Matabeleland South provincial manager Mgcini Sibanda said the shortage of condoms at Mawabeni did not at all reflect their unavailability but just minor logistical problems.
“They are available but may just not have been delivered on time. This cannot reflect a shortage,” he said.
Mawabeni sits in the centre of gold-rich Mzingwane district and also acts as a transport hub for the district.
Mining areas are part of the many hotspots targeted by NAC that has employed several different programmes that are standing their own towards a 2030 HIV and Aids free vision.