Healing in Two Pandemics: Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust
“Giving children a healthy start in life, no matter where they are born or the circumstances of their birth, is the moral obligation of every one of us. ”
I am now aware that there was intense stigma around COVID-19 in some areas of South Africa, such as rural areas of the KwaZulu-Natal province, because the coronavirus pandemic was associated with the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Social problems that existed pre-pandemic, coupled with the shared historical trauma of HIV/AIDS, has made this pandemic extremely traumatic and tragic for communities in South Africa that have already suffered so much. Because of how those who contracted HIV/AIDS were mistreated and isolated in the past, many people, particularly in rural and poor communities, refused to test for COVID-19 for fear of being exiled from their community. This intensified the spread amongst the most vulnerable, costing many people their lives.
HIV and AIDS has been one of the main challenges facing a post-apartheid South Africa. South Africa had one of the highest numbers of infected adults and children in the world. In the first decade of democracy in South Africa, adult HIV prevalence rose from less than 3% to an estimated 18.1%.
However, South Africa has a reason to be proud of how it mobilized to save lives - South Africa has the largest HIV treatment program in the world, making it a manageable chronic condition for many infected.
This mobilization to save lives was supported by organizations like the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust, or HACT. Founded in 1990, HACT was one of the first NGO’s in South Africa to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. HACT primarily focuses on serving the semi-rural and disadvantaged communities of the Valley of 1000 Hills region of KwaZulu-Natal, one of the epicentres of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic with HIV infection rates of up to 40% - more than double the current national average of 19%.
It was important for me to see HCAT’s work in action as it relates to preventive education, family strengthening and skills development. CEO Candace Davidson explained that amongst all of the life-saving programs offered, the Goals 4 Life program uses soccer to engage youth in activity-based learning, building trust and creating safe spaces where children and young people feel comfortable asking questions, sharing opinions, and supporting their peers.
“One HCAT value is ‘Ubuntu’: ‘I am because you are’ – being community driven and constantly aware that our actions impact on those around us, and that the sum is always better than the parts.”
Based on Grassroot Soccer’s evidence-based HIV/AIDS curriculum, HCAT’s team of trained Goals 4 Life facilitators or “coaches” deliver fun, interactive training sessions that equip children with the knowledge and tools needed to make positive and healthy choices in times of extreme crisis and uncertainty. Inter-school soccer tournaments play an integral role in Goals 4 Life program’s holistic approach to HIV prevention and education, enabling young participants as well as their families and communities to access HIV testing and counseling services in a safe and non-threatening environment. Additionally, Goals 4 Life connects these vulnerable children and young people with positive role models, comprehensive HIV and COVID-19 education as well as youth-friendly healthcare services.
To learn more about HCAT’s work and support as I have, visit https://www.hillaids.org.za.
