More than two hundred young people from the Chris Hani District Municipality have taken a bold step in the fight against HIV and Aids. Youth mostly between the ages of twenty and thirty five took part in this year’s AIDS candle light memorial in Engcobo Local Municipality. They volunteered on the “door to door” campaign which was aimed at finding house holds that were struggling to make the ends meet due to AIDS consequences. This was a four day campaign that kicked off from Monday, 11 May 2009 towards the main event on Friday 15 May 2009 at the Engcobo Indoor Sports Centre.
Engcobo has the challenge of poverty mainly due to the lack of economic activity in the area. That consequently leads to the high rates of unemployment. People then become extremely frustrated and loose their self esteem thereby becoming irresponsible. That is the point in which they are caught by the virus.
Nomzamo Jika, one of the volunteers said, “When you wake up in the morning, having nothing to do, surround by victims of AIDS, hearing even more horrifying stories of people dying of the disease gives you the feeling that there is no future.
You just don’t see yourself escaping from it and that’s the reason why AIDS is killing more young people every day. I think youth needs to be motivated to act against it rather than to be ignorant. The “door to door” campaign showed an increase in the number of child headed house holds as a result of AIDS.
“We have seen a major improvement on the campaign compared to last year. People are more open and willing to talk about the disease than in the previous years. There is more vibe and energy to the campaign and all that is a result of a tremendous increase in the involvement of youth this year, "said Ms Nomvuyo Witvoet, who is a facilitator for HIV and AIDS education.
The involvement of youth on this particular initiative has a tremendous significance as we head towards the youth month which aims to mobilise young people to be agents of change in their respective societies.
Enquiries:
Zamikhaya Nkonzo
Tel: 040 609 6042
Fax: 086 523 7068
E-mail: zamikhaya.nkonzo@otp.ecprov.gov.za
V F Kolo
Tel: 045 808 4600
Fax: 045 839 3467
E-mail: vkolo@chrishanidm.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
19 May 2009
Source: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecdoh.gov.za/)
