HIV/AIDS: being a peer educator with CFAO

Packaging warehouse manager of a beer brewing plant in Congo, Simplice Nakavoua has volunteered to join the fight against HIV/AIDS by becoming a peer educator in the brewery in which he works. Here he explains what his commitment entails.

INTERVIEW

1- What is a peer educator?

A peer educator is someone who receives training about HIV/AIDS and is responsible for talking and providing information to his or her peers about the subject.

 

2- Why have you chosen to become a peer educator?

I enjoy interacting with others but love-of-neighbour is what is really at the root of my commitment. Unfortunately, the results are not always encouraging and that is one of the difficulties of a peer educator’s job.

What has spurred me on is the fact that since 1999 our company has informed and educated its employees about HIV/AIDS and given them the chance to communicate about the illness, and that since 2002 it has provided full healthcare for those diagnosed as zero positive. As a result I feel like my message is one of hope. In addition, the head of management funds our awareness activities, which is a real encouragement for the peer educators.

Finally, there is the feeling of having contributed usefully to a good cause in the company, outside of work.

 

3- How do you perform your duties as a peer educator?

We make use of all meetings with our colleagues to get our message across and question them about the consequences of HIV/AIDS.
In keeping with our action plan for 2007 we also hand out condoms on a weekly basis and organise discussion meetings every 15 days. These involve getting together in an informal manner with the peer educator and 5 to 6 brewery employees. Unlike mass communication, this method allows us to genuinely reach our target audience.

 

4- What are you looking to achieve over the forthcoming months?

We want our message to reach employees and their families and have an impact on them. We would like the entire workforce to see screening tests as being a part of everyday life.
Small group discussions must translate into widescale screening in the days to come.