Panel Discussion on “Sport as a tool for HIV and AIDS prevention” with Lindiwe Dladla, Chairperson Interdepartmental Committee on HIV and AIDS at the Ministry of Health, Professor Cora Burnett, Department of Sport and Movement Studies at the University of Johannesburg, Scott Burnett, Director of Youth Department at lovelife, Mabalane Mfundisi, Coordinator of Sport and Entertainment Sector at the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) and Portia Diketane, Youth Leader of Altus Sport Youth Forum.
“Sport is a good tool for HIV and AIDS prevention but it must be accessible and speak to the needs of the youth!” Ms Lindiwe Dladla, Chairperson of the Interdepartmental Committee on HIV and AIDS at the South African Ministry of Health, said at a panel discussion at Ke Nako Africa, an initiative of the Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg. Together with experts from the fields of health, sport and development, Lindiwe Dladla discussed the impact of educational sport programmes on HIV and AIDS prevention.
With regard to prevention by educating the youth, Mr Scott Burnett, Director of the Youth Department at the nongovernmental organisation (NGO) Lovelife mentioned that “the level of knowledge among young people is actually already quite high. The relevant question is: How do you take the knowledge and turn it into action?”
How to achieve successful change in behaviour was one of the main issues of the panel discussion. Proffessor Cora Burnett from the Department of Sport and Movement Studies at the University of Johannesburg additionally emphasised that “knowledge about HIV and AIDS prevention must not only be spread but also be internalised by the youth” and that sustainable behaviour change needs time: “Do not expect impact to happen overnight.”
Ms Burnett suggested that educative programmes should be “differentiated and customised to the needs of the recipients of HIV and AIDS prevention.” To achieve this, the different partners involved have to coordinate their expertise and their implementation measures.
Mr Mabalane Mfundisi, Coordinator of the Sport and Entertainment Sector at the South African National Aids Council (SANAC) supported that idea, saying that “Money can’t buy everything. Financial and intellectual resources as well as various implementation programmes have to be coordinated.”
He furthermore stressed the potential of sport as a tool for HIV and AIDS prevention by quoting Nelson Mandela saying that “sport has the power to inspire, to change the world!”
The most promising aspect of football as a tool for HIV and AIDS prevention is mass participation and “the positive influence of role models” said Ms Portia Diketane, a Youth Leader from the Altus Sport Youth Forum, who is teaching not only HIV and AIDS prevention but also life skills and values to kids in the township Mamelodi. Besides the importance of role models, she also emphasised the importance of self esteem, saying that when it comes to issues like HIV and AIDS “you have to be wise enough to make your own decisions!” – Something that she also tells the kids at the Youth Development through football project she is working for.
All participants of the discussion agreed that there is consensus about the general objectives with regard to HIV and AIDS prevention. However, the future challenge is to reach an increase in coordination, be it on the level of governmental departments or at the implementing organisation on the ground. The panel discussion took place in the context of Ke Nako Africa, which is an initiative by the Department of Sport and Recreation.
Partners of Ke Nako Africa are the Southern African Development Community (SADC), The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the Artists Trust of Southern Africa (ARTSA), the German Development Cooperation, WASH United, an NGO campaign on water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as the Youth Development through Football programme of Sport and Recreation South Africa, which is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) on behalf of the German Government and which is co founded by the European Union (EU).
Ke Nako Africa features two main elements, on the one hand the Ke Nako Africa Exhibition, which is a platform for actors from Africa and the world, and on the other hand the Ke Nako Africa Programme, where political meetings, cultural events, youth activities and discussion forums on topics such as water, sanitation and hygiene, energy, sport and business, information and communication technology (ICT) and investment are organised.
Ke Nako Africa takes place within the International Football Village at Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Johannesburg. The International Football Village has been designed to enable local and international visitors to celebrate the world’s biggest sporting event in a safe and entertaining environment.
For further information, please contact:
Ms Christiane Frische
E-mail: christiane.frische@gtz.de
Cell: 082 803 3933
