April 15, 2005: Headlines: COS - Namibia: AIDS Education: All Africa: So far, RACE coordinator, Sherise Loveland, who completes her services as US Peace Corps in Namibia next month, has trained 183 teachers in AIDS Education

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Namibia: Peace Corps Namibia : The Peace Corps in Namibia: April 15, 2005: Headlines: COS - Namibia: AIDS Education: All Africa: So far, RACE coordinator, Sherise Loveland, who completes her services as US Peace Corps in Namibia next month, has trained 183 teachers in AIDS Education

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-181-108.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.181.108) on Sunday, April 17, 2005 - 7:04 pm: Edit Post

So far, RACE coordinator Lauren Loveland, who completes her services as US Peace Corps in Namibia next month, has trained 183 teachers in AIDS Education

So far, RACE coordinator Lauren  Loveland, who completes her services as US Peace Corps in Namibia next month, has trained 183 teachers in AIDS Education

So far, RACE coordinator Lauren Loveland, who completes her services as US Peace Corps in Namibia next month, has trained 183 teachers in AIDS Education

Peace Corps Target Schools

New Era (Windhoek)

April 15, 2005
Posted to the web April 15, 2005

Toivo T. Mvula
Ondangwa

PARENTS of both primary and secondary school learners still are reluctant to allow HIV/AIDS organisations to talk about sexual health in schools.

Many parents and members of communities in the areas of the north central regions still believe that sex education promotes sex.

Outgoing Regional Aids Committee of Education's (RACE) coordinator of Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions, Lauren "Ndapandula" Loveland said parents were still concerned about her organisation talking about sex, distributing condoms and demonstrating condom and femidom use at schools.

"This is a big barrier and we are trying to tackle it."

She said that although parents and schools have never refused them the opportunity to speak to learners, school management bodies were hesitant and concerned that talking about sex will anger parents and promote sex among learners.

Loveland added that it was better to prepare learners for sex and the dangers of unsafe sex, rather than leave them "blind".

Incoming RACE coordinator, Sherise Lindsay said it was necessary for the orga-nisation to speak to learners at both primary and secondary schools about sex, HIV and AIDS and contraceptives available to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases.

She said they target primary schools because these schools, especially in the north central regions, have older learners who are or may be sexually active.

In an interview with New Era, the two US Peace Corps Volunteers said RACE, even though it targets primary schools, only distribute condoms and femidoms to the older learners.

The two young Americans have previously worked with non-governmental organisa-tions and also have experience in organisational capacity building.

Therefore, RACE (Oha-ngwena and Oshikoto) educates and trains teachers of the more than 400 schools in the two regions to go back into the communities to talk to parents and dispel the myths surrounding the HIV and AIDS pandemic.

Teachers are also equip-ped with the knowledge on how best to set up and run HIV and AIDS awareness programmes at schools effectively.

So far, outgoing RACE coordinator, Loveland, who completes her services as US Peace Corps in Namibia next month, has trained 183 teachers in the two regions.

She said RACE's approach regarding HIV and AIDS awareness in schools, goes much further than the ABC (Abstinence, Be Faithful, and Condoms) prevention methods.

She said they try to promote not only the ABCs, but also try and equip learners with life skills to be confident enough and have a vision for the future to enable them to make appropriate decisions.

Incoming coordinator Lindsay said the Life Skills non-promotional subject at schools needs to be taken more seriously in order to educate learners about sexual health and the dangers of the HIV and AIDS pandemic.

Although it was difficult to measure the success of the organisation, Loveland and Lindsay said the response from both the community and learners has been overwhelming. The learners are eager to know more about sex health education.

Women in remote areas have also shown interest, wanting to know more about the female condom, as they have only heard and never seen it.

RACE was formed by the then Ministry of Basic Education, Sports and Culture and the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Employment Creation in 2001 as an organised response to the HIV and AIDS impact study on the education sector.

All 13 regions in the country have a RACE committee made up of 10 members from the education sector.

The RACE coordinators of every region help implement the ideas of the committee.

The organisation distributes HIV and AIDS educational materials, condom and femidom distribution, school presentations, train teachers and liaise with other HIV and AIDS stakeholders including the Ministry of Health and Social Services.

It also provides first aid kits, sponsored by USAID, to all schools in the country for use during medical emergencies and to prevent HIV transmission.






When this story was posted in April 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:


Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
The Peace Corps Library Date: March 27 2005 No: 536 The Peace Corps Library
Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

Top Stories and Breaking News PCOL Magazine Peace Corps Library RPCV Directory Sign Up

RPCVs and Friends remember Pope John Paul II Date: April 3 2005 No: 550 RPCVs and Friends remember Pope John Paul II
Tony Hall found the pope to be courageous and capable of forgiving the man who shot him in 1981, Mark Gearan said the pope was as dynamic in person as he appears on television, Maria Shriver said he was a beacon of virtue, strength and goodness, and an RPCV who met the pope while serving in the Solomon Islands said he possessed the holiness of a man filled with a deep love and concern for humanity. Leave your thoughts here.

Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000  strong Date: April 2 2005 No: 543 Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong
170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.

April 10, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Date: April 10 2005 No: 555 April 10, 2005: This Week's Top Stories
The Coyne Column: "Why do you study Jesuits?" 10 Apr
Al Kamen says Condi Rice is Baffled 8 Apr
Chris Dodd makes "sneak attack" on AgustaWestland 7 Apr
Accused attacker maintains innocence 7 Apr
Jim Walsh supports Sinn Féin declaration 7 Apr
Crisis Corps team in Thailand begins work 6 Apr
Tom Weisner wins big in Aurora Mayor's Race 6 Apr
BBDO wins EFFIE Ad Awards for "Life is Calling" 6 Apr
PCVs removed after missionaries killed in Guyana 5 Apr
Chris Matthews covers death of Pope John Paul II 5 Apr
24 Congressmen sign Peace Corps letter 4 Apr
Update: PCVs in Kyrgyzstan back in communities 4 Apr
Tom Murphy lays into Bush administration 4 Apr
Bellamy urges legislators to protect children 4 Apr
Lynn Olson manages art gallery after judgeship 4 Apr
Bob Taft promotes tax code overhaul in Ohio 3 Apr
Richard Kaminski lost in village in Botswana 3 Apr

April 10, 2005: Events around the Country Date: April 10 2005 No: 552 April 10, 2005: Events around the Country
North Carolina RPCV discusses Nepal trek on April 14 6 Apr
South Carolina RPCVs to see off PCVs on April 18 5 Apr
Gaddi Vasquez speaks at Northwestern University 6 Apr
Henry McKoy speaks at Clemson University 8 Apr
Minnesota RPCVs need Photos for Exhibition 24 Mar
Maryland RPCVs eat crab cakes in Annapolis 17 Mar
RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

April Feature Stories - only on PCOL Date: April 10 2005 No: 553 April Feature Stories - only on PCOL
Dream Come True - Revisiting India after 34 years
The Coyne Column: Read Winning Vanity Fair PCV Essay
Tomas Belsky's paintings inspired by service in Brazil
RPCV reunites with friend after 40 years
RPCV reviews "Los Heraldos Negros" by Cesar Vallejo
Photo Essay: Taking it to the Streets

Crisis Corps arrives in Thailand Date: March 20 2005 No: 530 Crisis Corps arrives in Thailand
After the Tsunami in Southeast Asia last December, Peace Corps issued an appeal for Crisis Corps Volunteers and over 200 RPCVs responded. The first team of 8 Crisis Corps volunteers departed for Thailand on March 18 to join RPCVs who are already supporting relief efforts in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and India with other agencies and NGO's.

RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC Date: March 5 2005 No: 482 RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC
RPCVs Sam Farr, Chris Shays, Thomas Petri, James Walsh, and Mike Honda have asked their colleagues in Congress to add their names to a letter they have written to the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, asking for full funding of $345 M for the Peace Corps in 2006. As a follow-on to Peace Corps week, please read the letter and call your Representative in Congress and ask him or her to add their name to the letter.

Add your info now to the RPCV Directory Date: March 13 2005 No: 489 Add your info now to the RPCV Directory
Call Harris Publishing at 800-414-4608 right away to add your name or make changes to your listing in the newest edition of the NPCA's Directory of Peace Corps Volunteers and Former Staff. Then read our story on how you can get access to the book after it is published. The deadline for inclusion is May 16 so call now.

March 1: National Day of Action Date: February 28 2005 No: 471 March 1: National Day of Action
Tuesday, March 1, is the NPCA's National Day of Action. Please call your Senators and ask them to support the President's proposed $27 Million budget increase for the Peace Corps for FY2006 and ask them to oppose the elimination of Perkins loans that benefit Peace Corps volunteers from low-income backgrounds. Follow this link for step-by-step information on how to make your calls. Then take our poll and leave feedback on how the calls went.


Read the stories and leave your comments.






Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: All Africa

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Namibia; AIDS Education

PCOL20156
63

.


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: