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Agricultural
sporting gala: Scoring against stigma and discrimination
Students and Youth Working on Reproductive Health Action Team
(SAYWHAT)
March 2010
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Executive
Summary
SAYWHAT participated
for the 6th year in the Agricultural Sporting gala held at Mlezu
college of Agriculture under the theme "Scoring against Stigma
and Discrimination" from the 22nd -28th of February 2010.
The gala brought over 1000 students from Agricultural and Vocational
Training Centres from across Zimbabwe who besides being given the
opportunity to compete in different sporting disciplines also interacted
with comprehensive information sexual and reproductive health.
The overall
objectives of SAYWHAT's participation in the 2010 Agricultural
Sporting Gala were to:
- To provide
one-on-one counseling and advice on sensitive issues such as positive
living and condom demonstrations
- To identify
gapes in SRHR programming that could be addressed in our programs
- To disseminate
accurate information on gender issues for students from agricultural
college
This gala was
particularly different from the rest because of its unique thematic
focus on positive living as well as information on new HIV prevention
interventions such as male circumcision which can reduce the chances
of HIV infection by 60%. The focus encouraged more students into
accessing VCT services and a total of 271 got tested this year from
last year's figure of 197. The gala also saw 11 tested male
students being referred for Male circumcision.
Focus group
discussions and voluntary counseling and testing provided the students
the chance to have their concerns on Sexual Reproductive Health
answered. Students were encouraged to know their status and empowered
on how to live a positive and fulfilling life whether they are negative
or positive.
Apart from giving
advice on reproductive and sexual health there was also a need to
fill the void of providing female students with affordable sanitary
wear at the gala. The gala saw 800 pads being provided for female
students.
Information
on domestic violence and how the survivors can be protected by the
law was provided to empower students on their rights and how they
should respond to harmful cultural practices through Gender Focus
Group Discussions.
Edutainment
was also used as a way of entertaining students at the same time
imparting knowledge on SRHR during quiz, drama and film aided learning.
The film shown explored positive living amongst young people particularly
females using a documentary called Tariro (Hope). The drama competition
ran under the theme "Positive talk, Positive perceptions,
changing our attitudes towards HIV and AIDS" and this saw
11 colleges competing for the SAYWHAT sponsored drama trophy. 77
students directly participated in the drama competitions.
SAYWHAT also
had quiz competition to assess SRH knowledge levels of students
in the categories of HIV and AIDS, contraception, Male Circumcision
and Reproductive health and Rights.
The Local Co-ordinating
Committee at Mlezu conducted a Candlelight memorial. The memorial
was meant to raise concern on HIV and AIDS and increasing personal
risk perception at the same time giving students an opportunity
to reflect on the people who are living positive and those who passed
on due to HIV. The Candlelight memorial saw 450 students participating
in lighting of candles and a march drawing attention of immediate
community members and college authorities. 8 students were inspired
by this platform to disclose their HIV positive status.
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