While we were away, ASAP organized a workshop series with a non-profit called Siyayinqoba Beat It! to help our staff and village health workers become qualified HIV/AIDS peer educators. Everyone around here has heard the requisite AIDS awareness speech, but there is a lot of AIDS denial, and some people who still think AIDS is a curse. Siyayinqoba aims to give the scientific information on the virus—where it originates, how it spreads, how treatment works—in a visual way to overcome language and literacy barriers.

Each participant was given a certificate, and soon Hlomelikusasa will be sent a 21-part DVD series so that our VHW can become peer educators and show the DVDs in their rural location (though not everyone has electricity or DVD players, so I’m not entirly clear on that).  The buzz on the workshop is that it was a huge success, and everyone found it incredibly informative. They’d never thought about the virus in such scientific terms, and it was eye-opening for everyone. I only wish we could have been there to participate!

Certified and ready to peer-educate!