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Sierra Leone: Teachers Poised to Combat HIV/Aids
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Concord Times (Freetown)
16 July 2008
Posted to the web 15 July 2008
Mohamed Massaquoi
Shepherd's Hospice Sierra Leone Monday organized a two day training of trainers' workshop for teachers of both primary and secondary schools and community elders in the south and western areas.
The confab was held at the institution's resource center on Bai Bureh Road, Freetown.
Executive Director of Shepherd's Hospice Sierra Leone, Gabriel Madiye disclosed that the aim of organizing the workshop was to train teachers as peer educators in order to have basic information and knowledge on HIV/AIDS prevention and care and discrimination of HIV infected and affected persons in their communities and workplaces.
He said teachers play significant role in their communities as they serve as role models noting that if teachers are given the basic training about the pandemic, it will be of great benefit to their pupils in their respective schools.
Madiye said participants were drawn from the southern and western areas so that a network of peer education team will be created in various schools in order for them to be able to share ideas as to how they could combat HIV/AIDS across the country.
He said his institution has received support from the National AIDS Secretariats, European Union, and Bread for the World.
He said at the end of the workshop, they will provide support to participants so that they will form groups in their communities to disseminate HIV/AIDS information.
"I hope after the training exercise, participants will have an increased knowledge and understanding of the mode of transmission and control of the pandemic; develop effective counseling skills, and advocate for the rights of HIV-infected or affected persons.
"We have targeted teachers and community members for this special workshop because we believe that they will serve as ambassadors of their communities," he said.
A participant, Aminata James, expressed gratitude to Shepherd Hospice Sierra Leone for bringing teachers together most especially those in the provincial area.
She said it was better that they were receiving a comprehensive training on issues on HIV/AID as there are lots of conflicting information from various individuals with regards the pandemic.
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"We have a lot of sensitization programmes in our community. This is the first time I have attended specific workshop that has to do with HIV/AIDS prevention and control, counseling and the issue of mainstreaming stigmatization of people living with the pandemic" she said.
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