At Tovwirane HIV/AIDS Organization (THAO), Youth Take the Lead in Promoting Behavior Change
Wisdom Chibambo is a young man who has earned his name.
By the age of 23, Wisdom had suffered the death of his guardian, attended three different secondary schools for lack of school fees, and fled his job as a garden boy in South Africa in fear of xenophobic violence. Returning home to Mzimba District in northern Malawi, Wisdom watched as his unemployed friends passed the time drinking, smoking and loitering. At that time, "I was a boy who liked to propose [sex] to girls," Wisdom said. "I used to have sex with girls without the knowledge of whether the girls were positive or negative."
Yet Wisdom knew he had to take action to find a positive outlet in his life. He found that outlet through youth activism in the Motomoto Youth Club, sponsored by Tovwirane HIV/AIDS Organization (THAO).
In Mzimba District, where THAO serves a population of 103,000 people living in 332 villages, the HIV prevalence rate is 23%. Social-economic issues such as migrant labor to South Africa, prostitution, increased cases of alcohol and drug abuse, and misconceptions about reproductive health all play a role in the spread of HIV and AIDS in Mzimba. Young people in particular are at risk. THAO youth coordinator George Chaipa Lungu, 28, explains, "These young people are heavily affected by HIV and AIDS. Some of them are infected, but they have problems with coming out in the open, disclosing or revealing their status."
Since 2006, THAO has coordinated a network of youth clubs in twelve zones across Mzimba, covering a radius of 30 miles (50 km). The objective of the youth clubs, whose members range in age from 14 to 25, is to promote behavior change through peer interaction and communication. Club members encourage their peers to go for HIV testing and counseling (HTC), endorse abstinence and being faithful, and perform interactive drama shows at local schools on topics such as child rights. "Most of the youth who I work with, they are taking the challenge to say, 'We are a vulnerable group. What should we do next?'" Chaipa Lunga says.
Wisdom has risen to that challenge. At 25, he now serves as Motomoto Youth Club president and represents youth from Mzimba's twelve zones on the THAO board of directors. Not only has he benefited from trainings on topics such as peer education and orphan care, Wisdom makes it a point to convene meetings to share the information and skills gained at recent trainings with fellow club members, thereby building their capacity as well. "Wisdom has been instrumental because of the way he motivates these young people," says Chaipa Lungu. "Motomoto is one of those youth clubs that has remarkable success within Tovwirane, looking at HTC motivation, behavior change sensitization meetings, and even mobilization campaigns."
WIth support from the United States (U.S.) President's Emergency Plan for AID Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Pact Malawi provides funding and capacity building to THAO, which will help the organization reach 10,000 in- and out-of-school students with behavior change messages and establish 20 new youth clubs in addition to the 53 clubs it already supports.
