19 May 2013

Tebelopele Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centre's voluntary counseling and testing services have impressed the Canadian first lady, Ms Sharon Johnston.

Speaking in an interview after touring the centre, Ms Johnston said through the centre’s services, the country could control and ultimately eliminate HIV. She explained that she was mostly impressed by the Youth Against AIDS (YAA) movement.

Ms Johnston said the fact that everyone who went to the centre for testing opened up and talked about personal things such as their behaviour, worries and concerns was remarkable. Ms Johnston also had a chance to go for an HIV test at the centre.

For his part, Tebelopele deputy executive director, Mr Leonard Manthe said he was thankful for the Canadian government and other organisations for what they had done for the country in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Mr Manthe said in 2010, the World Universities Service of Canada (WUSC) donated a porta cabin which was placed in Shakawe and used for counseling and testing services in the region. Prior to the use of the porta cabin, Mr Manthe said people in Shakawe and surrounding areas used to travel over 1 000 kilometers to Maun for testing; a process which was time consuming and costly.

“We believe the porta cabin will play a very important role in the prevention of the spread of the virus as testing is the entry point to all intervention that affect HIV,” he said. Mr Manthe said the centre at Shakawe which started operating in January this year had tested 350 females and 248 males with eight per cent of them testing HIV positive.

He said the porta cabin had assisted to take HIV/ AIDS as well as outreach services to the people. Tebelopele as a branded organisation, Mr Mathe said, was the largest non-governmental organisation that provided voluntary counseling and testing in the country and “we believe we have made a mark,” he said. ENDS