17 Apr 2016

The Ngamiland Council of NGOs (NCONGO) and Botswana Family Welfare Association (BOFWA) are planning to distribute 2.5 million condoms in seven months throughout the Ngamiland region.

According to the executive officer for NCONGO Mr Monametsi Sokwe, the project was also aimed at increasing knowledge and awareness about several issues relating to HIV and sexual health using information, education and communication (IEC) materials and a social media campaign.

He said in an interview recently that since the beginning of April up to date they have managed to distribute 260 000 condoms in the region.

Mr Sokwe further said the project first started in 2012 as a pilot project called “Taxi Talk” where free condoms were distributed to the population using a network of taxis in Maun.

“Taxi Talk” distributed over 30 000 condoms during a three month period and had a positive impact on decreasing new STI infections in Maun, said Mr Sokwe.

He said the theme for the campaign was “Ke chaisitse mo mogareng,” and that it was an expansion of “Taxi Talk,” except that they were now reaching out to not only taxis, but also bars, clubs, shebeens, tuck shops, sex worker hot spots and rural villages outside Maun as well.

He said the aim was to make condoms more accessible and available to the community of Maun, and to remove barriers such as location, time of day, and feelings of embarrassment that may prevent one from accessing condoms when they need them.

Mr Sokwe said there were often many barriers to accessing condoms that could prevent one from using them such as feeling embarrassed or not having a condom available when and where one needs them or not having the proper information and skills one needs to use.

He further said their mandate was to break down the barriers and to create a strategy for HIV prevention that was rooted in the community, and that address’s their challenges, needs, perspectives and priorities.

Mr Sokwe said the initial project was only intended as a pilot, and stopped for a period of time due to lack of funding and emphasised that without sustained funding, a project would not be able to continue.

He said they have funding for one year and they  were hoping to get more funds to continue the project and expand it to other regions and ultimately to ensure its sustainability.

Mr Sokwe said the demand for condoms in Maun was high and that the project was targeted at all youth and adults. He further explained that the project was funded by National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA) and coordinated by NCONGO.

Mr Sokwe however said they also have “Ke chaisitse mo mogareng condom distribution network,” where they would be posting sexual health information and fun facts, quizzes, photos and condom “hot spots” where they would have a Facebook page to unveil where in Maun people could go to get condoms,
ENDS