Siyafundisa 'teaching our youth' Diocesan FIELD WORKER: Jabulani Miya

It is good to care for the sick, to comfort the dying, to look after the orphans. But above all, we have to break the transmission cycle of the virus. We must stop it.

Knowledge about the disease and the way it is spread is very important, but it is only the first step! There is a need to go deeper and to address the root causes ... the behaviours, cultures and attitudes that are contributing to the spread of HIV and AIDS, especially among our youth.

We believe that behaviour change is the most essential strategy in overcoming the HIV pandemic. We need to talk about and promote abstinence and fidelity amongst youth, and to enforce the protective influence of parents and elders in our families and communities. 

The Siyafundisa programme – funded by PEPFAR (the United States' President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) - focuses on children, youth, families and communities throughout South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia. It aims to reach 860 000 young people between the ages of 10 and 24 through peer education, community and social mobilisation, with the overriding message of abstinence until marriage, and faithfulness within marriage and monogamous partnerships.

Siyafundisa aims to:

• help young people make responsible decisions;
• empower influential adults to become positive change agents and role models to young people;
• promote discussion in the wider community around the factors fuelling the HIV pandemic;
• promote and provide voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) to encourage people to know their HIV-status. 

In our Diocese, the visiting of parishes and training of Facilitators amongst the Young People has already kicked off according to archdeaconries. We have initially identified and trained 16 Facilitators of LIFE SKILLS programme during the week of 21 - 25 April from Far-West & Good Shepherd Archdeaconries. 

The next identified archdeaconries are   St. Andrew’s (previously known as SOWEJO) and Randfontein. 

Further information regarding upcoming events & trainings may be obtained from Jabulani Miya on 082 323 9948, or on e-mail: jmiya@anglicanaids.net and I am sitting in the HIV/AIDS office with the Diocesan Staff.

Blessings!
Jabulani

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