24 November 2008
December 1, World AIDS Day is approaching and different sectors of society are already staging their commemorations ahead of the main event which will be celebrated in Selebi-Phikwe.
Maoka Junior Secondary School took time off the syllabus and dedicated Friday November 21 to the commemoration of World AIDS Day, which is celebrated this year under the theme 'Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise'.
Impressively, Maoka decided to use students as the message bearers. Students did almost all the speeches and acts. It was a good way of communicating with students, as it is more likely that they will relate with messages from their peers rather than hearing them from adults.
The first to take centre stage was the reigning Miss Maoka, Batho Modise, who, though rushing through her speech, gave her peers encouraging messages aimed at sensitising them about the disease.
The reigning queen noted that government has shown immense commitment in the fight against HIV/AIDS through sensitisation and education of the public on the scourge, observing that there seems to be little behavioural change.
"We have been bombarded by messages but there is no behaviour change," she noted.
In her speech, she captured that when the first case of HIV/AIDS was recorded, many associated the disease with homosexuals, noting that through education, it is now common knowledge that HIV/AIDS can infect anyone, regardless of sexual preference, age or economic status."AIDS e tsena mongwe le mongwe - anyone can contract HIV," she quipped in mother tongue.
For a young person her age, Modise did her research, giving students, teachers and all invited guests sobering statistics about HIV/AIDS infection, urging them to take a stand and join hands with the government in fighting the disease.
The guest speaker of the day was yet another student, Reagile Kopi, from Nanogang Junior Secondary School. Kopi with a lot of zeal challenged her age mates to take HIV/AIDS messages seriously. She pleaded with students to practice abstinence.
"We are too young to engage in sex," she said.
She went on to urge fellow students to stay away from activities that might tempt them to do things that will put them at risk of being infected with HIV.
"Let's keep away from alcohol, drugs and parties," Kopi said.
She urged the country's future leaders to join the fight against HIV/AIDS and make a difference.
"Continue spreading the message and save the nation," she said in her closing remarks.
The day was not devoted to speeches only as the students used poems, drama and song to transmit HIV/AIDS messages.
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