05 Mar 2013

Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi has pledged to challenge government to roll out the Wise Up Campaign.

He said the campaign would be carried to government multi-media machinery, which would involve access to twitter, Facebook, Internet and web pages.

“We will even do it in web pages and via cellular phones as we migrate our digital broadcasting standard,” he said.

Minister Masisi, who was speaking at the Bokamoso JSS Wise-Up campaign in Gaborone on Monday, said he was proud of the work that government did with UNICEF, noting that this campaign would help save Botswana.

He said government was determined to grow an interface between technology and HIV prevention issues.

UNICEF executive director, Mr Tony Lake said UNICEF was humbled to be part of the campaign that created platform for the adolescents to communicate or share information on HIV/AIDS through multimedia.

“The programme enables young people to reach other youngsters about the dangers of HIV and how to avoid them and to understand the myths surrounding HIV,” he said

He attributed the progress already made to the commitment of young people involved in the campaign.

He, however, said the programme began a year and half ago, adding that UNICEF and NACA were still to figure out how to continue with its funding.

One of the facilitators of Wise Up Campaign, Ms Gogontlejang Phaladi said they travelled around the country to reach their target audience in schools and youth centres.

She said they dealt with issues of behavoural change, ignorance and the HIV/AIDS theoretical part that many people did not put into practice.

“The campaign is run by young people who are passionate on the subject,” she said.

Wise up is a multi-media HIV prevention campaign aimed at empowering the youth aged 10-24 years with information on modes of HIV transmission, misconception and elevated risk of infection from drug and alcohol abuse.

The campaign that was launched in September 2011 was developed based on inputs from young people. Wise up used a combination of radio, cell phone text messages as well as Facebook discussions.

The campaign, which was a partnership between UNICEF and National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA) was a response to the misconception and lack of knowledge surrounding HIV, as shown by the 2008 Botswana AIDS Impact Survey.

 The survey showed that by 2008, 43 per cent of young people aged 15-24 years had a comprehensive knowledge of HIV. This fell far below Botswana Universal Access and 2001 UNGASS targets of 50 per cent and 95 per cent by 2010.ENDS