SWABCHA has partnered with the National Emergency Response Committee on HIV- AIDS (NERCHA) to mitigate the HIV pandemic in the private sector. SWABCHA organized a World AIDS Day Commemoration event for the workplace this year with support from the Regional Multi-Sectoral HIV-AIDS Coordinating Committee (REMSHACC).
During this event, companies were invited to bring their peer educators and a representative from management (including HIV-AIDS Focal person) to an open day to
• Commemorate the World AIDS Day
• Experiences and lesson sharing from each other
• Appreciate the work that has been done so far in the workplace programs
• Meet and get to know each other
The Manzini region private sector World AIDS Campaign was held at the Tums George Hotel on the 19th of November 2009 courtesy of the Tums George Management. A total of 68 people were present on the day. The event was co-funded by REMSHACC Manzini and SWABCHA, where 23 companies participated;
1. Matsapha Town Board
2. Swazibank
3. Nhlangano Casini Hotel
4. Channel S
5. Mchepa Chemical Industry
6. Starross
7. Nampak Swaziland
8. Inyatsi Construstion
9. Voice of the Church
10. North Star Alliance
11. Macmillan Publishers
12. FESBC
13. Unitrans Swaziland Limited
14. MTN Swaziland
15. Chrisilda Transport
16. Healthcare Clinic Group
17. Swaziland Milling Company
18. Gone Rural Bomake
19. S&B Civils
20. Afrisam Cement
21. Swazi Wire
22. Manzini Youth Care
23. Swazi Candles
The welcome remarks were made by the hosting company; Mr. Tum Du Pont. In his comments, he noted that on this day of commemorating World AIDS Day, it is essential for the private sector businesses to acknowledge the need to take action and be involved in the national response. Mr Du Pont expressed concern over the resistance to use condoms by some members of staff. He also went on to note that he has negative experienced the effects of HIV on productivity of staff when there is fear and silence around HIV-AIDS.
Following the opening remarks, Nelsiwe Sihlongonyane presented a motivational talk acknowledging the hard work that peer educators and company focal persons have done in the response to HIV-AIDS. She went on to encourage the attending participants to continue the efforts and to partner amongst each other and with SWABCHA to enhance their workplace programs.
After tea break,
The forum was opened for peer educators to deliberate on highlights and challenges in their different companies. Of note were these highlights;
• Some companies acknowledge that the strength of their workplace wellness programs is because they are supported form the top management. Inyatsi and Matsapha Town Board noted that the heads of their organizations actually tested for HIV in public and have committed time every month for awareness sessions in the workplace which is not during breaks.
• Some companies noted the even with a medical assistance program staff tend to shy away. They noted that SWABCHA can assist a lot with the mobile wellness unit to ensure confidentiality. Also
• There is an ensuing debate between male and females on the choice of condoms to use. Some women have indicated that the studded condoms make them uncomfortable because they cause pain, while some men use them hoping they can enhance their performance to please the female partners and that the female condoms make noise. In this debate partners end up not using any of the condoms.
• Red Cross Siteki group provided the ‘edutainment in the form of a drama on stigma and discrimination.
Recommendations made to SWABCHA included;
• Working with Unions representatives to drive workplace programs
• Exchange program for peer educators in different companies
• Ask companies to host events to save on resources. This was meant to ensure that the limited resources go to the people who really need them.
• There is need to re-launch the female condom and do more education on its use and effectiveness
• Target awareness from the top, management need to appreciate the response and its impact on business before the program can be driven in the workplace
• Look into impact mitigation, how can companies deal with issues of orphans, estate management in the event of death.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 23 February 2010 )
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