Peer Educators at Bwafwano raising awareness of TB/HIV

Ken comes home from work to find his dinner is not ready – he’s been working hard and he’s not happy!  His wife Linda says she went to a neighbour who was telling her about VCT (Voluntary Counselling and Testing for HIV).  Linda hasn’t been very well and she thinks they both ought to go and be tested.

Ken is furious – you don’t know what you are talking about!   There is no point in testing – if you have HIV they can't do anything – you will just die quicker through worry. And I hope you aren't saying you have been unfaithful is this why you think you have it? He raises his hand to hit her, at which point Joseph, a Peer Educator from Bwafwano, happens along. 

Joseph tells them both more about VCT – and about HIV.  That either of them could have caught it before they got married and that it wasn’t helpful to talk about who to blame.  Also that it was important to know – if they wanted a family there are ways to prevent HIV being passed on to their children.  Also there are now drugs available – called ARV’s - to keep HIV under control.

At last Ken calms down. He sees that it makes sense and he apologises to Linda and shakes Joseph’s hand. He and Linda will go for VCT tomorrow. 

The watching crowd of about 80-100 people cheer and clap!  This wasn’t a publicly conducted domestic dispute, but the Bwafwano Peer Educators on tour.  They go out into the community, singing songs, conducting dramas, holding quizzes and debates to raise awareness of TB and HIV. Now that ARV’s are available at Bwafwano (TB Alert has paid to train caregivers to support HIV as well as TB treatment), it means that it is easier to persuade people to go for testing because they know there is hope if they are HIV positive.

As well as raising awareness of the importance of testing and the availability of treatment – HIV prevention is still a top priority.  Bwafwano’s Peer Educators also visit clubs, pubs, bars, barbers and hairdressers – anywhere that young, sexually active, people might congregate - and recruit staff to talk to their clients about HIV and STI prevention.  They also leave information leaflets and free condoms.  Here we might consider the Barber asking his client “Something for the weekend sir?” a bit of a comic cliché – but in Zambia the new openness promoted by organisations like Bwafwano means you  are quite likely to find your hairdresser wants to discuss your sex life.  Not because they are nosey – but to do their bit in preventing the spread of HIV.  And that’s got to be a good thing.