Youth educated on safe sex practices
ALEXANDRA - The Standard Chartered Bank took its HIV/Aids prevention message titled Positive Living to Alex youths as part of their voluntary community service and in commemoration of World Aids Day on 1 December.
This campaign was held in partnership with non-profit organisation Football for Hope at the Altrec Sports Complex where, for two consecutive years, they have engaged with schoolchildren to help dispel the stigma about the disease and to promote prevention methods.
Geraldine Matchaba, of the bank, said the partnership had contributed 16 years of their involvement to eliminating the disease. Matchaba said while they targeted everyone, they concentrated on youths. “We have over 1 300 bank volunteers who promote the Aids message through youth activities such as sports, where their attention is better. We encourage them about abstinence, non-discrimination of those affected and infected and, the use of both male and female condoms,” she said, adding that female condoms still needed to be popularised.
Manqoba Nyawuza of the Centre for HIV/Aids Prevention Studies at the Alex Clinic said they encouraged the use of male circumcision all year round to curb the disease and other sexually transmitted infections. The methods, he said, were generally accepted as a cultural practice for winter where about 130 volunteered for the procedure at the clinic.
“We want to get rid of this taboo by also using the peer education approach,” he said. With the school holidays approaching, Nyawuza also said the event was an opportunity to encourage the children to be vigilant about their health as they will have more free time and are vulnerable to sexual temptations and potential infections. He urged other stakeholders, in particular, traditional leaders, to get involved in promoting male circumcision.
Nhlanhla Dube of Football for Hope said the event was held annually and, this year, their target was 250 boys and girls who, besides HIV/Aids awareness, could acquire other life skills for their own personal development. Dube thanked parents for allowing their children to join them at the complex and urged other stakeholders to also participate in a bid to halt HIV/Aids infections.
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