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A place for men to talk about HIV/AIDS
Solly Maphumulo. 02 June 2005. The Star. Republished courtesy of Independent Newspapers (Pty) Ltd.
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It's a South African first, a place where men can talk to other men about HIV/AIDS and other sexual problems.
The Imbizo Men's Health Project was launched on Thursday at the Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital in Soweto to educate men about HIV/AIDS. The project has two centres for counselling and HIV testing - in Diepkloof and Kliptown.
The centres were established after research showed that there were no programmes catering for men. Each centre has four male counsellors and a male nurse to educate men about sexually transmitted diseases.
The project targets men between the ages of 16 and 55 who live in Soweto.
Project counsellor Lawrence Ndou says he was depressed when he discovered he was HIV-positive in 2001. "Sometimes I thought committing suicide was the only answer to my problems.
"But the support I got from my family and friends made me strong. I grew stronger everyday and decided to help people who are in the same predicament."
In 2002 Ndou decided to join HIVSA, an organisation for men and women affected by HIV/AIDS.
Since then he has not looked back and is now working as a co-ordinator and counsellor in Diepkloof's Imbizo Men's Health Project.
Although the centre was opened three months ago, Ndou says it has been inundated by men asking about various health issues. So far 140 men have come to the centre to be tested for HIV.
"We give them counselling before they are tested," Ndou says. "We also make sure that we give them counselling after we have given them the results."
Ndou says participating in this programme has changed his life.
"Everyday I feel good, knowing I am doing something to help my community. I urge their families to give them all the support they need because, I have been there. It is difficult to accept your HIV status".
"I still feel what I am doing is a drop in the ocean. I appeal to more men to join us, so that we can fight this battle together," Ndou says. |
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