Stories
South Africa
Bringing HIV Education, Services to Youth
The individuals pictured here participated in the health or educational services of the mobile health unit. We do not imply that they are HIV-positive.
- 15
Can buy a health kit for a child, which includes essentials like soap and toothpaste
- 50
Can provide an HIV-positive child and his family with nutritional support for a month
- 100
Can help provide counseling for a child whose life has been impacted by HIV
The Umkhanyakude district, located in KwaZulu-Natal province, is one of the poorest regions in South Africa. These numbers1 tell the story:
- 77 percent of the population lives below the poverty line
- Only 10 percent of households are within 15 minutes travel time of a health clinic
- Only 22 percent of households have access to safe water
- Only 19 percent have access to electricity for lighting
At the same time, the district also has one of the highest HIV-infection rates in the world. Currently, young people who grow up in the Umkhanyakude district have a more than 50 percent chance of contracting HIV during their lifetime.
Because of the Umkhanyakude district’s extreme poverty, the young people there don’t have access to the health services and education they need to prevent the spread of HIV and other life-threatening diseases—and this cycle of poverty and disease continues.
Mobile Health Units Bring Change
To give the youth in the Umkhanyakude district a better chance for a healthy future, Mpilonhle, with the help of an Angel Network grant, built a mobile health and computer unit. Based in South Africa, Mpilonhle (which means “a good life”) is committed to promoting the development of youth through innovative health and education programs. Through the mobile unit, Mpilonhle is providing services like health screenings and counseling, as well as health education sessions, to teach youth how to prevent HIV and other diseases.
Computer training is another important service provided through the mobile units. Schools in the region have desperately limited resources—in fact, most students have never even used a computer. Computer training provides opportunities for young people to learn new skills that will help them succeed in the future.
Each mobile unit (Mpilonhle plans to implement two additional units in 2008) will travel among four schools, bringing its services to each school for one week per month. In addition to providing services to young people, the mobile units will stay open on school grounds on weekends, so adults in the community can also receive health services and computer training.
The first mobile unit launched in November 2007 and already, more than 2,500 young people have used its services. Here’s what a few students are saying:
Female, Grade 11 I want to thank Mpilonhle because they gave me strength to go and get tested.
Female, Grade 12 I really wanted to do the testing at the local clinic, but was afraid that they would ask me a lot of questions, like why do you want to test for HIV because you are so young. When Mpilonhle came to school, I was so excited because I could get tested and talk to somebody … They did not even force me to get tested, but told me the importance of knowing my status. I was really happy to know my status. I am HIV-negative.
Male, Grade 12 It was the first time I saw a computer in front of me. I did not even know how it works. I thank Mpilonhle for bringing computers to our school.
1 Statistics provided by Mpilonhle.
- In just 5 minutes you can help by:
- IDEA 1: We’ve learned a lot over the past few decades about the causes of HIV. But some people still believe old myths. Brush up on the facts at UNAIDS.org and the next time you hear a myth, prove it wrong with the truth.
