HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention education workshops in Ghana
Polish Green Network in co-operation with Friends of the Earth – Ghana organized an HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention education workshop for Ghana rural communities.
Conducted trainings as well as informational meetings within the activity 2 complement governmental programme of building Voluntary Testing and Counseling Centre in Kpandu area, which is of the biggest interest of PKWR programme in Ghana. With the knowledge achieved during the trainings participants are able to estimate the threat of disease for themselves as well as became aware of the need of discussion in their own communities. The idea of the workshops was not only to inform about the consequences of the disease but also to raise the discussion and work out some ways of the managing with the problem by whole communities.
Training in Todzi First three days long training took place in Vakpo Todzi in 13-16th of September 2006. There were 43 people participating, chosen by the nearby communities – among others Jordan, Vakpo Todzi, Anete, New Adomi.
Training in Kpando Training was organised for the potential 60. leaders from the Kpando city.
Team Leader: Name: Mrs Celestine Adanuti Qualifications: Principal Nursing Officer – Margaret Marquart Catholic Hospital. Professional nursing qualification. Member, district assembly HIV/AIDS Planning committee. Also Director of Family Health and Natural Family Planning for the Volta Regional Catholic Diocese
Agenda of the meeting: Day 1- Meaning of HIV/AIDS, mode of spread, problem analysis for Ghana, geographical spread, national policy, impacts on economy and sustainable development. Day 2 – Prevention strategies, care for the HIV/AIDS patients, voluntary counseling and testing. Day 3 – Public awareness strategies and communication techniques, sensitization, media support.
Public awareness campaign Campaign was a little delayed on purpose, in order to start a meetings together with the opening the voluntary testing and cancelling point in Kpando. It gave people information about how fundamental is HIV/AIDS testing and showed where they can look for help. Moreover, during the organised meetings we found many false stereotypes and myths.
Durbar in Vakpo Todzi – 30th of September 2006 In traditional Durbar took part inhabitants from Todzi and other smaller villages. Totally there were about 500 people on the meeting. The meeting lasted few hours. During it there were conducted lectures concerning HIV/AIDS made by local leaders and trainer Celestine, educational performances and children drama regarding the results of the disease. Whole meeting was accompanied by songs and dances.
Durbar in Tafie Mador – 13th of November 2006 Meeting was joint with the display of dyed materials made during batik/tie-and-dye workshops. Nevertheless its programme was prevalently devoted to HIV/AIDS issues. Trainer gave lectures and organized educational performances. In the meeting took part about 200 participants, among them children and youth arranging songs and dances.
Durbar in Kpando – 28 of November 2006 r. It was the biggest Durbar meeting organized for 1600 inhabitants of Kpando arranged by the local coordinators in cooperation with the Director of the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centre for Margaret Marquart Catholic Hospital – Kpando.
Leaders activities After the trainings leaders received whole educational package including also produced posters and information concerning articles in FOELINE magazine. They were partly distributed among Volta communities. The rest of the materials will be consequently distributed within the next activities planned by our Ghanaian partner. Moreover event-coordinators took part in discussions organised by local broadcasting.
A 3-day peer educators training on HIV/AIDS awareness creation was organised in Todzi (15-18 September 2006) for 40 youth from all the communities in the Vakpo Traditional area and workshop in Kpandu (11-13 December 2006).
contact