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 Ukuthasa, in partnership with Helderberg Christian Church, GoLD (Generation of Leaders Discovered) and the Western Cape Education Department, is running a lifeskills programme in five secondary schools in South Africa. Ukuthasa is honoured to be the first non-South African charity involved in the project and to be part of the nation’s fight against HIV. The fully trained team sets up workshops in the schools and teaches pupils to be 'peer educators' within their own age group. The aim is to help young people understand that HIV is preventable and controllable.
What exactly is a peer educator and how does the programme work? This story of hope says it all… When Cyndi (not her real name) joined the HIV Peer Education programme in 2005 she was 16 years old, a drug user, she played truant from school regularly and was living a promiscuous lifestyle. One year later, she’s drug-free and an activist for her school, influencing her peers in a positive way. She recently stood up in front of her class to tell her story – without shame or embarrassment. Her words had such a powerful effect on her classmates that everyone now wants to join the programme. Through the Peer Education Programme, Cyndi has had a chance to develop cross-cultural friendships and has been able to tell her classmates about the impact those experiences have had on her life. Some of her prejudices and fears have been broken down and she now enjoys being friends with students from other race groups and schools. Cyndi represents just one of the many positive stories that have come out of the programme. Charmaine Etson, who manages the HIV programme for Ukuthasa, loves stories like Cyndi’s because they provide encouraging feedback for everyone involved – as well as demonstrating how a tangible difference is being made. "The youth of South Africa want to be accepted and valued," says Charmaine. "We see, before our eyes, a generation rising up to take their place as future leaders in our nation." How you can help | Back to 'What we’ve achieved so far' page |
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