10 Aug 2020

The faith sector, which has been a key player in the HIV/AIDS scourge, is also responding to the COVID-19 pandemic adequately.

Briefing the media in Gaborone on August 8, National AIDS and Health Promotion Agency (NAHPA) official, Ms Sheila Lesotlo, said faith-based organisations had been on the frontline mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 and providing communities with support.

This, according to Ms Lesotlho,  was in response to government call for a multi-sectoral approach towards the fight against corona virus. She pointed out that NAHPA, African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP) and Project Concern International (PCI) in collaboration with the US government were coordinating a project called Faith and Community Initiative.

It was launched in Mahalapye in February to take on board community leadership in relation to HIV/AIDS issues and lately COVID-19.

Additionally, she said the project emphasised on traditional healers and health practitioners together with pastors and community leaders in encouraging men and children to access HIV testing services.

She said the project had two strategies that included disseminating messages of hope through faith alliances and across interfaith structures.

She further pointed out that the second strategy focused on justice for children where more awareness was created on community leadership about issues of sexual violence in children.

Moreover, Ms Lesotlho said the project also aimed at coming  up with evidence based interventions across the faith sector and traditional structures to complement programmes on orphan and vulnerable children because more children continued to experience sexual violence during lockdown.

It also aimed at collaborating further with the justice sector, being the police and the law enforcement agencies on issues affecting children. Ms Lesotlho pointed out that the implementing partners; being ACHAP and PCI,  worked hard to sensitise traditional healers, pastors and community leaders.

For his part, PCI senior programmes officer, Mr Motlaleng Motlaleng, stressed that preventing new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women was a priority

He said PCI sought to achieve an empowered AIDS-free generation of girls and young women through the Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe women (DREAMS) initiative.

“DREAMS is working to build the social assets of girls and young women to reduce their risk for HIV and violence, mobilise communities for change through school-based programmes and strengthen families,” he said.

Mr Motlaleng also noted that they were providing children with psychosocial support to help them cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. And ACHAP communications manager, Mr Kabo Monare, said said the  faith and community initiative aimed at connecting traditional healers, pastors and community leaders through technology such as whatsapp, messages, radio and internet.

He noted that that they would provide capacity building, technical assistance together with financial management.

Mr Monare also stated that the purpose of the project was to reach 4 000 people and it was failing because of COVID-19, adding that the plan was to dispense 1 700 HIV  testing kits and they only managed 30 per cent of the target.

He also urged pastors and traditional healers to refrain from giving  patients false hope that they could cure  HIV/AIDS. ENDS