Hiv/aids-hanke Njombessa:

Hiv/aids tiedotusprojekti Tansanian koululaisille ja opiskelijoille Njomben läänissä

Arviontimatka Njombeen 14.3.-5.4.2005.

Suomi-Tansania Seura on vuoden 2002 joulukuusta saakka tehnyt yhteistyötä Tansanian evankelisluterilaisen kirkon eteläisen hiippakunnan ja kristillisen koululais- ja opiskelijajärjestön, UKWATAn, kanssa koululaisille ja opiskelijoille suunnatussa hiv/aids tiedotustyössä. Hanke on saanut ulkoministeriön tukea vuosille 2003-2004. Hanke sijaitsee Njomben läänissä ja sen piirissä on 42 koulua ja niiden 8100 opiskelijaa. Alue on laaja ja välimatkat koulujen välissä pitkät. UKWATAlla on toimiva kontaktiverkko alueen kouluihin.

Ilembulan sairaalan henkilökuntaa on ollut mukana seminaareissa ja viikonloppuleireillä kertomassa UKWATAn nuorille terveysasioista, hiv/aids-tartunnoista ja testeistä, lääkkeistä sekä kondomeista. Seitsemänkymmentä prosenttia Ilembulan potilaista on hiv/aids potilaita. Hiv/aids testit maksavat 1-2 euroa, mikä monesta tuntuu kalliilta - lisäksi testeihin pelätään mennä.

UKWATAn nuoret valistustiimit ovat valmistelleet koululaisille ja opiskelijoille soveltuvaa kampanjamateriaalia, kirjoittaneet lauluja ja draamoja ja kiertäneet kouluissa esittämässä niitä. Tiimit rohkaisevat tyttöjen itseluottamusta, jotta heitä ei voitaisi alistaa ja käyttää seksiobjekteina ja korostavat vastuullisuutta kaikessa seksuaalikasvatuksessa. Yksi tärkeä teema on empatia ja toivo ilman moralisointia. Tiedotuksessa käsitellään myös potilaiden leimaantumista ja hyljeksintää, mikä nykyään on vielä valitettavan tavallista.

Hankerahan turvin on tarkoitus hankkia UKWATAn opiskelijoille mm hiv/aidsia käsittelevää valistuskirjallisuutta. Toiveena on myös saada Njomben kaupungin opiskelijoiden käyttöön nettikahvila.

Suomessa Seuran sihteeri Sirkka-Liisa Peltola on ollut hankkeen alullepanija ja vastaava ja hänen 60-vuotispäivänsä osuessa sopivasti tammikuuhun 2004, hän pyysi lahjojen asemesta sukulaisia ja ystäviä antamaan rahaa hankkeen omarahoitusosuutta varten. Ja sukulaiset ja ystävät olivat sekä anteliaita että runsaslukuisia: lahjarahaa kertyi peräti 2764 euroa, mistä 1000 euroa on jo käytetty tänä vuonna ja loput säästetään ensi vuodelle. Sirkka-Liisa tuntee Njomben seudun hyvin toimittuaan siellä lähes parinkymmenen vuoden ajan oppikoulun, lukion ja yliopiston opettajana.

Alusta asti myös Loimaan Lähetysyhdistys on tukenut hanketta ja luvannut tehdä niin jatkossakin. Tämän tuen turvin uskalsimme lähteä näin isoon hankkeseen. Hanke laajenee tänä vuonna Ruvuman ja Mtwara-Lindin lääneihin.

Olemme vuodelle 2005 anoneet jatkorahoitusta kampanja- ja draamaviestinnän lisäkoulutusta varten Njombessa. Tarkoituksena on, mikäli rahaa saadaan, kouluttaa UKWATAlaisia tuottamaan seinäjulistesarjakuvia ja videotaltiointeja kampanjan lyhytdraamoista. Sarjakuvat ja videot levitetään Njomben läänissä 42 kouluun ja eri sidosryhmille. Sosiodraaman opettaminen on myös osa suunnitelmaa. Lisäämällä kampanjatyöntekijöiden osaamista visuaalisessa viestinnässä saadaan enemmän syvyyttä ja painoa, koska tuotettu materiaali, seinäsarjakuvat ja videot, on paikallista, kulttuurirelevanttia ja nimenomaan kohderyhmälle sovellettua.

Lisätietoa hankkeesta antaa Sirkka-Liisa Peltola.

Pastori Isaac J. Chengula on hankkeen koordinaattori Njombessa. Seuraavassa hänen englanninkielinen raporttinsa viime vuoden toiminnasta ja tuloksista.

Evangelical Lutheran Church In Tanzania Southern Diocese Youth Department Tanzania Student Christian Fellowship – Njombe Region Hiv/Aids Control Program Expenditure Report Of 2003

Prepared by the team and approved by The Authorizing Body

Written by Rev. Isaac J. Chengula, Youth Director (Coordinator of the Program)

Introduction. Throughout its history the Youth Department, working with and for people who are poor, hopeless and helpless, has been greatly challenged at its fight against poverty, hopelessness, helplessness, diseases- especially HIV/AIDS and ignorance because it has been fighting with empty pockets! However the department has never been discouraged by lack of funds to continue waging this war. We are glad see that last year God opened the eyes of his people here and in Finland to give support and take part in bringing awareness on HIV/AIDS to the Tanzanians and make them responsible for their lives and their social welfare. We are very thankful to the Foreign Ministry of Finland and our partner organization Finish Tanzania Friendship Society for walking with us through monetary support sharing sorrows and tears. Indeed, even this year, they are ready to listen to us.

Project Opportunity. The HIV/AIDS epidemic calls for attention to address many problems in our society such as poverty, ignorance, diseases (especially STDs), orphans, shelter etc. The Youth Department’s HIV/AIDS Control Program is a response which is an ongoing program aimed at bringing awareness on HIV/AIDS to the people and empowering them to have control over it. In the year 2003 – 2004 is taken as pilot project for Tanzania Student Christian Fellowship in Njombe Region as supported by the Foreign Ministry of Finland through Finish Tanzania Friendship Society.

The Support and Work. This support helped us to go around 43 secondary schools and colleges where we taught different people of school communities. The team that went around teaching included the Rev. Isaac J. Chengula – coordinator, Mrs. Monica Ngavatula, Miss. Rev. Alumbwage Mgaya and Ev. Noah Mtokoma.

Others from the four zones and Ilembula Hospital included Rev. Gerson Mgaya, Sister Atu Bange, Dr. Willis Temihango, Subila Ruturagara, Benjamin E. Kalinga, Andrew Hudson, Justin Kipeta, Agnes Mgeni, and Johnson Mgimba.

The teaching was conducted through drama, poems, poetry, choir singing, giving instruction, holding discussion and showing videocassettes. Seminars and training for leaders inspired them to actively take serious steps in helping people who are affected and infected by HIV/AIDS to live with hope. Moreover, they challenged those who think they don’t have HIV/AIDS to know their HIV status by taking HIV test.

We mainly used a pamphlet written by Isaac Chengula that analyses different sources of information on HIV/AIDS to enable people weigh out and choose the best way in combating HIV/AIDS.

It also focused on empowering people with a clear knowledge that helps them to respond with Yes, where it deserves and No where it is necessary.

We organized Joint Mass, Easter and zonal conferences in which keynote speakers addressed the problem of HIV/AIDS to raise awareness among hearers. Apart from these conferences an opportunity was given to students to attend the TSCF National Conference.

Achievement. Our approach of teaching has been very much appreciated by the heads of schools. Most of them commendably said that the approach was very informative and participatory. Some said that they have never encountered such a challenging way of teaching!

We have managed to go to all schools and colleges we have in our Njombe Region. One secondary school has been taught in addition to 42 as shown in the 2003 budget.

The campaign has successfully motivated many people to eagerly seek to know their HIV status, something that didn’t work before we embarked into this kind of project. We can summarize the success attained in this project as follows:

1. The HIV/AIDS awareness has been increased among people in school communities.
2. Students and teachers have learned how to analyze sources of HIV/AIDS information as given by mass media from people with different backgrounds that make the hearers stay misinformed or confused about HIV/AIDS.
3. We have learned that our community has a big problem of stigma towards people affected and infected by HIV/AIDS – there is a sense of negligence and condemnation towards them.
4. Also we have learnt that the number of orphans is increasing but most of them have no food, clothes, shelters and school fees – hence being kicked out from schools. This has made people think of forming an organization that can help these orphans. We came across to an orphan known as Furahini who studies Form II and lives with 2 children in a home without any adult. She was kicked out from school and came to our Bishop seeking help to pay her school fees that she may continue with her school. The proposed that we pay her fees from the HIV/AIDS Project fund although it was not in our budget. We have begun to make installation of the internet café/service for the purpose of helping orphans like Furahini.
5. We learned that most of people after our HIV/AIDS teaching sessions were ready to check their health by taking HIV test but could not because they were unable to pay 2 Euro per each test. This is why we find it important to add counseling and testing in our program activities of this year.

Following the work done in the year 2003, we have a strong desire to demonstrate quality accountability to the Foreign Ministry that funded and will, probably, continue to fund the project in 2004.

Looking at the report of income and expenditure as shown in its table you will find that we received 22,525,753 TShs. from the Foreign Ministry of Finland but the expenditure went up to 24,342,190 TShs. There is an over expenditure of 1,816,436.30 because of many important unforeseen program activities of the project.

We however thank God that the exchange rate of the Euro did drop rather it kept shooting up in favor of us whenever we received it from you. Our estimate in the budget proposal was 1 E : 913.00 TShs. Thus, using the same rate of our budget proposal you will find that we have received about 24,672.20 Euro and spent about 26,661.80 Euro. Hence our over expenditure is about 1,989.50 Euro.

Pastor Peltola, kindly send us your fax number for sending you immediately an endorsed report by church officials of the Southern Diocese.

As we have been working on this report, we have found that there are still again more things overlooked in the budget of 2004. These include:

1. The estimated kilometers of travel and the price are low. It should change to read 7420 km x 0.4Euro that is 2,968 Euro.
2. There are schools that have no electricity so we need a generator for video show when teaching. The estimate costs 850 Euro.
3. Unforeseen in the budget 800 Euro.
4. Finish Tanzania Friendship Society administration is also not included.

I hope you will add these items.

Keep in touch by using the treasurer’s email because mine is broken by a thunderstorm.

Take care,
Isaac Chengula.

Kidugalan opiskelijoiden ryhmä, "tulkaa keskustelemaan"