Mbondo, Insiza South –The National AIDS Council (NAC) has intensified its grassroots fight against HIV and AIDS, prostate cancer, child sexual exploitation, and other chronic illnesses through the innovative Behaviour Change Community Motivators Model (BCCM).
A group of 20 men convened at Mbondo Business Centre, in what resembled a traditional dare (men’s court), not for social matters, but to discuss pressing health issues.
They awaited their facilitator an elderly woman armed with a pen and notebook, who soon arrived to lead the session.
She is Gogo Dorcas Mpofu, a dedicated Behaviour Change Community Motivator trained by NAC to lead peer-based discussions with men in rural communities.
Her sessions address topics ranging from HIV and AIDS, prostate cancer, and sexually transmitted infections, to gender-based violence and child sexual exploitation.
“Men are now attending in large numbers, which is encouraging. We are seeing a real shift. I engage them on health-seeking behaviour and the importance of early diagnosis. It is gratifying to witness this transformation,” Gogo Mpofu said.
Local men expressed how the programme has changed their attitudes and encouraged them to seek medical attention.
“We have learnt the importance of early testing and treatment. I went to the hospital after one of these meetings, and my condition was addressed,” an elderly man said.
“Men here are now more health-conscious, and we are thankful for this intervention,” one of the men said.
The NAC’s Provincial Programmes Coordinator, Mr Wilfred Ngwenya, said the model is proving effective in reducing high-risk behaviours and encouraging timely health referrals.
“This programme is having an impact in communities. We are seeing a lot of men being referred to hospitals through this program and we are targeting community behaviour that may endanger their health,” he said.
The Behaviour Change Community Motivators Model is being implemented alongside other NAC initiatives in Matabeleland South, including the Not in My Village Campaign and Community ART Refill Groups, in response to high HIV prevalence, child sexual exploitation, and teen pregnancy rates in the province.
