WCCC has continued carrying out activities to support its campaign on expanding HIV/AIDS Prevention services in Kalangaalo Sub-County in Mityana District. This program was supported by US Embassy-Kampala through PEPFAR (Presidential Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief).
The purpose of this program was to empower Lay Readers, Priests, Deacons and other clergy with up-to-date skills and knowledge on HIV/AIDS care and prevention, and also guide them on how to integrate this information and acquired skills into their routine pastoral activities. Since there were no church gatherings or congregations permitted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the clergy carried out their sensitization activities through pre-marital and marital counselling sessions, one-on-one engagements with community members, home visits and some social gatherings like burials and weddings which were also being held Scientifically (maintaining social distance among the people in attendance).
A Lay Reader having a one-on-one conversation with community members
HIV/AIDS prevention and the HIV prevention services available at their nearest community health centres. Every after an interaction, we encouraged the community member to approach the healthcare personnel from their nearest community health centres to know their HIV status and also get more information about their concerns on HIV/AIDS prevention and also make use of the available HIV/AIDS prevention services.
A Lay Reader carrying out HIV counselling.
WCCC also partnered with the Clergy and church youth leaders from Kiryokya Parish to carry out sensitizations over the radio during talk shows. This was done at Radio Sun in Mityana Town and Namirembe FM in Kampala. During these talk shows, more information on HIV/AIDS prevention was shared with the listeners with emphasis on youth involvement in HIV/AIDS prevention in their homes and communities especially during the current Covid-19 lockdown times. The listeners were encouraged to always know their HIV status as the core strategy in HIV/AIDS prevention. The youths were also encouraged to be change agents in their communities and were encouraged to get involved in productive activities thereby avoiding risky behavior that would expose them to HIV infections.
WCCC Program Manager with a clergy and some church Youth Leaders during a Talk Show at Namirembe FM.
Outcomes:
- 116 community members were engaged in this time. 47 were males and 69 were females.
- 32 referrals were made to the nearby health centres for the beneficiaries to know their HIV status and also inquire about the available HIV/AIDS prevention services.
