Fishermen in Kisangani obtain condoms
1-30 June, DR-Congo
“The SALT approach can reverse the increasing trend of HIV here in Kisangani,” said a newly trained facilitator, in DR-Congo. RDCCompétence, the Constellation and PNMLS organized learning events in eleven cities in DR-Congo and four more will take place in July. They transferred the approach to 505 facilitators who will be using it in their work with communities. This is the first important step in spreading the approach throughout DR-Congo and make HIV an issue of the past. Communities throughout the country are already taking action, like the fishermen association in Kisangani.
In Kisangani the HIV trend increased from 6,4% in 2007 to 8,7% in 2009. After a first SALT visit, the community of fishermen decided to do something about their own vulnerabilities, mainly women who engage in sex work in exchange for fish. On their own initiative, they organized an awareness raising session with an association of peer educators. They also addressed their vulnerabilities by providing condoms to their co-workers and friends. They linked up with a youth group that had a stock of condoms that could be distributed. Hundreds of communities in DRC, like the fishermen, are now starting to take action to respond to HIV.
If communities generate energy for change, it is because more than 500 facilitators have been trained to facilitate the AIDS Competence Process. In May and June, 10 day learning events took place in all provinces and participants were enthusiastic about the approach. They learned about SALT, dream-building, self-assessment, action planning and measuring progress and practiced facilitating the process in communities. “The SALT approach changed our way of looking at things. We believe that we can reverse the increasing trend in Kisangani, » said one of the participants.
“After the learning event, we received a lot of invitations from communities,” explained Dadi Ndeli, focal point in Kisangani. “Some participants talked about the SALT approach during a TV program and one participant, who is a journalist, wrote an article about it.” That’s how AIDS Competence can spread faster than the virus.
Provincial coordination of the National Multisectoral Programme against AIDS (CP/PNMLS) fully support the process. Michel, the local coordinator of CP/PNMLS in Bunia, welcomed the focal points by saying, “Now I see I have a team on which I can count. I know you represent a great strength for the region of Ituri. That’s why we are going to achieve the results of the project: 300 communities that document their progress by the end of this year.”