KwaZulu Natal (KZN), South Africa

KZN is one of the regions of South Africa most seriously affected by HIV/AIDS.  In a project which combined information about reproductive health and HIV/AIDS counselling, communities were assisted in exploring the issues around reproductive health and AIDS, and Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) was initiated.

The Zisizeni Association for Development, a community based organisation (CBO) based near Melmoth in northern KZN, which is supported by the UK-based Helwel Trust, work with local communities focused particularly on the creation of environments in which HIV educators could talk in depth about their views on the impact of HIV/AIDS. 

The stigma and discrimination associated with HIV is still strong in northern KZN.  For example, children orphaned by AIDS are thought to be the responsibility of the government, while, if parents are killed in an accident, the relatives and community takes over responsibility for the orphans.

Work with these HIV educators centred on processes to reduce the stigma and discrimination that Zulus place on people affected or infected by HIV and AIDS, and to make it socially acceptable to keep those orphaned by AIDS in the local community. 

Reproductive health/family planning services tend to be separated from clinics supporting those with HIV/AIDS: part of this project was to begin to build bridges between these two services.