Tsibogang: curbing AIDS, violence and drug abuse

Dr. Wolfgang Oratile Hermann, coordinator of the Christian action group "Tsibogang", explains a project that has been carrying out educational work to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and violence for over 20 years.

South Africa is the country with the highest number of people infected with HIV in the world. 7.6 million people were infected in 2023, according to UNAIDS. Although the total number of new HIV infections has fallen in recent years due to antiretroviral treatment, the number of new infections in the 15 to 24 age group, especially among girls and young women, is still unacceptably high.

Girls often become infected through sex with older men, which brings them material advantages. There is still a great deal of ignorance among young people about HIV infections and little awareness of the value of their own lives and the lives of others.

According to UNAIDS, women who are physically or sexually abused have a 50 percent higher risk of becoming infected. In South Africa, a woman is murdered every three hours, half of them as a result of intimate partner violence.

The high unemployment rate of more than 30 percent is one of the causes of violence against women and drug abuse. Most men in South Africa live in the patriarchal consciousness that they have to provide for their families, and thez despise themselves if they are unable to fulfil this role. In their frustration, they often take refuge in alcohol abuse and project their anger onto their partners. In addition to alcohol, cannabis and nyaope (a mixture of low-grade heroin, cannabis and antiretroviral drugs) and crystal meth are also becoming increasingly popular among young people.

What does the project do?

In 2001, a group of concerned Christians from different denominations (mainly from the ELCSA and the Catholic Church) started setting up the Tshepanang Action Group (which means "trust one another" in the local Setswana language). We wanted to find a Christian response to the ongoing AIDS epidemic in the Ngaka Modiri Molema district in the North West Province of South Africa.

Since then, we have trained peer educators. These are young, unemployed people (aged 20-35) who have completed their A-levels or dropped out of school and are sitting at home without a job. In a one-week workshop, we teach them about Christian values, sex and sexuality, sexually transmitted infections, gender-based violence and drug abuse. Some of the lessons are presented to them by mentors, others they have to work through themselves in groups. Over the years, we have developed seven curricula for different age groups.

After the workshop, the participants are invited to a meeting where they have to decide whether they want to become members of the Tshepanang action group. To do so, they must agree to a code of conduct. Those who agree to become members then visit schools and are assigned 5-10 lessons in classes where they teach the "Tshepanang curriculum". The peer educators receive regular further training from mentors and are also visited once a quarter during their lessons. Every year, all pupils take a test on HIV-related knowledge and on violence against women and drug abuse.

What role does the ELM play in this?

The ELM provides financial support. In addition to the ELM, the Förderkreis Mission & Gemeinschaft e.V. and the Bingo-Umweltstiftung also support our work. We hope that the ELM will continue to support our project so that many young people are encouraged to protect themselves from HIV infection and to defend themselves against violence and drug abuse with increased self-confidence.

How do you measure success?

In the current financial year, we have 99 peer educators teaching in pairs in 26 schools. They reach a total of more than 5200 pupils. Most headteachers appreciate what our peer educators have to offer and make lessons available to them. And we have found that the peer educators themselves benefit enormously from their learning and teaching.