AIDS-free Holidays:Peer educators grapple with challenges

In spite of a nationwide campaign, the AIDS Free Holiday campaign is not an easy task for peer educators.

“Is there money in this exercise you are undertaking? Will you pay for it? What will I gain from your campaign?” This is the response of one man of about 50 years as he was handed the track, ‘AIDS Free Holiday campaign’ in the Biyem-Assi neighbourhood of Yaounde, yesterday, August 3, 2015.

In Yaounde, the AIDS Free Holiday campaign is the talk in most households. Every day, the team tours strategic areas in different neighbourhoods to enable the public to have access to free HIV screening.

However, the campaign is not an easy task for the local peer educators who are out to sensitise the public on the importance of knowing their HIV status. This year’s campaign is being carried out by the Regional Technical Group in charge of Vaccination and Free Screening for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis in collaboration with the National Federation of the Association of Female Christians, FENARAFEC.

One of the members, Cyrille Mbara, told Cameroon Tribune yesterday that the task has not been easy for them and the peer educators. The problem is that of registration. He explained that since the screening is free, people are often impatient to wait for their results.

“Since the results are rapid, people are impatient to wait. We ask them to be calm and when the results are out, release them according to the norms of the profession. After giving out the results, we give counselling on how to maintain proper hygiene and protection against diseases,” he explained.

Prior to the campaign, sensitisation is done in the neighbourhoods where the campaign team will visit in order to book an appointment with the public. He said about 200 people register each day for the HIV/AIDS free screening. Peer educator, Ekassi Afanna, said the problem faced by them is the lack of interest, especially by young girls.

She explained that when they approach some of them, they claim to know their status and would not want to listen to any advice. To convince them, she said peer educators are obliged to talk about HIV/AIDS and its dangers. They also listen to the public and answer their questions. “With men, it is easy, but with the youths, especially young girls, it is difficult,” she explained. Meanwhile, the team will sensitise in Mobil Kondengui today, August 4, 2015.

The AIDS-Free Holiday Campaign is an initiative of the founder of African Synergy for AIDS and Suffering, Mrs. Chantal Biya, to fight sexually-transmissible infections, STIs, and the AIDS pandemic among the youth during the holidays. The sensitisation and mobilisation crusade launched on July 30, 2015, which is in its 15th edition, will end on August 12, 2015.