Rumbek holds five day workshop on HIV/AIDs awareness in Lakes state

By Manyang Mayom

October 14, 2010 (RUMBEK) – A workshop aimed at bringing HIV/AIDs awareness to the people of Lakes state began at Panda Hotel in Rumbek on Tuesday, focusing on educating teachers about the sexually transmitted virus.

The five day workshop is an initiative of Lakes State HIV/AIDS Commission in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund – UNICEF.

Peter Gum Ater, deputy director of Lakes states HIV/AIDS commission, said that five days would not be enough time to discuss all the topics on HIV/AIDs.

The duration, he explained, was adopted due to financial limitations and the availability of the participating teachers.

Gum Ater affirmed that the commission intends to involve other community leaders in the HIV/AIDs awareness program including; chiefs, Church leaders, and other traditional leaders.

“HIV/AIDs is a problem of everybody in Southern Sudan,” he said.

The workshop, which targets teachers will allow them to pass information about HIV/AIDs to students and the wider community
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Gum Ater recommended that every Sunday churches allow five minutes in the program for the commission to pass on messages about HIV/AIDs to the congregation.

Risper Nyangaresi, a teacher at Rumbek Girls Primary School, said after the workshop that she was informed to educate her students about sexually transmitted infections and diseases and how to prevent them.

Risper said that abstinence for those who were not married and faithfulness for those who were was the best way to avoid contracting HIV/AIDS.

The people of Lakes state needs to realize that HIV/AIDs is already in the community, she said.

Small-scale surveys have revealed that there are hundreds of thousands of people living with HIV and AIDs in Southern Sudan.

(ST)