South Africa
Voluntary Counseling and Testing
Activity Dates
2003 – ongoing
Activity Summary
The Valley Trust (TVT) is one of South Africa’s oldest and best-known Non-Government Organizations. The vision of The Valley Trust is “to realize the potential of individuals and communities and enhance their ability to improve their own health and quality of life within a democratic society”.
TVT has a comprehensive voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) intervention for the communities in three tribal areas, i.e. KwaXimba, Molweni, and Qadi; all situated in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, approximately 80km from Durban. The VCT programme aims to provide a service that will enable people to know their HIV status. This is done primarily through mobile VCT units.
Objectives
- To stimulate demand for VCT in the community by creating awareness of VCT sites in the selected areas;
- To create a culture of HIV testing in the community;
- To encourage people through participative community mobilization strategies to live positively with HIV; and
- To provide care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS.
Implementation
Mobile VCT Unit
One of the most unique features of the TVT programme is its mobile VCT services, which promote and offer VCT services in public gatherings.
VCT Referrals
TVT works in partnership with other VCT service providers by promoting their services and referring clients for testing when TVT’s mobile services are unable to handle demand.
Community Blitzes
Four community blitzes take place every year. During a blitz, TVT puts up posters, drives through the area with a loudspeaker system, and stops at strategic points to distribute information, pamphlets and condoms.
Promotions
TVT conducts “mini” blitzes at taxi ranks, shopping centres, churches and sports tournaments. Similar to the community blitzes, materials and condoms are disseminated and crowed mobilised through the loud speaker. During these promotions, the mobile VCT unit is on standby and other service providers are mentioned so that people don’t feel pressure to attend the mobile unit.
VCT Walks
Young people, peer educators, community health workers and clinic staff are encouraged to participate in local VCT walks to promote VCT.
Support Groups for People Living with HIV and AIDS
TVT established and supports 15 support groups for people living with HIV and AIDS. TVT trains leaders or executive committees from the support groups on how to access treatments, sustainability of groups, income generation, nutrition, positive living, institutional capacity and leadership development.
Facilitation of HIV Testing Clubs at Secondary Schools
Peer educators facilitate the formation of HIV testing clubs in schools. Club members receive training. Meetings of all clubs take place on a quarterly basis. The purpose of the meetings is for clubs to share ideas and to encourage and motivate each other to continue with the clubs.
Training
TVT trains clinic staff in developing youth friendly clinics/programmes, new peer educators in peer education/counseling, health workers on workplace programmes, and TVT staff on treatment literacy.
Valley Trust has a number of community mobilization programs which include: youth service and development programs comprising a peer educators program – training of peer educators includes: communication skills, basic information on HIV and AIDS, counseling skills and leadership. It also runs youth-in-school and youth-out-of-school programs and sports leagues which are used to bring groups of people together, whereby messages about HIV and AIDS, abstinence and faithfulness are disseminated and their energies are redirected towards sports rather than sex.
Health Promotion through “Positive Voices” and AIDS and Peer Educators
TVT has 3 “Positive Voices” – people living with HIV and AIDS – that volunteer at the youth centres in Qadi/Nyuswa, Molweni and KwaXimba. The positive voices are involved with all VCT promotion programmes. Health promotion is also done using the 60 Peer Educators within The Valley Trust Programme.
Audiences
People living with HIV and AIDS, in and out-of-school youth, clinic staff, general community
Partners
The Valley Trust
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