The contribution of adult learning centres in educating communities on HIV/AIDS and related issues

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Most people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) do not know theycarry the virus. HIV is the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (morecommonly known as AIDS). Many people know nothing or too little about HIV toprotect themselves against it.Mainstream educational and some private sector services currently expose their learnersor workers to HIV/AIDS education and training. Despite these services there are threegroups of adults who would not benefit from the available HIV/AIDS education services.They are the unemployed (including dropouts from the mainstream schooling system),those working in the informal sector (e.g. hawkers, taxi drivers, chars, etc.) and thoseworking for companies that do not see HIV/AIDS education as a priority.The aim of this study is to see if a HIV/AIDS training programme targeting adult learnersleads to a greater awareness about HIV/AIDS and related issues.This study utilised an experimental design. The study was based on the two group pretest,post-test, post-past-test design. The data-collection instruments used in this studywere questionnaires, interviews and literature reviews.During the pretest there were no statistically significant differences between theexperimental group and the control group. However, at the posttest, there was asignificant difference between the experimental group and the control group, e.g. onissues like the difference between HIV and AIDS, the window period, that mosquitoescannot pass on the HIV to humans, and that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS. At the postposttest stage the experimental group still knew more about HIV/AIDS and relatedissues compared to the control group. The participants, who were part of the experimentalgroup, were also able to share HIV/AIDS information with family members, friends and colleagues, and they realized the importance of HIV/AIDS education for all, which wouldreduce or eradicate stigmatization and discrimination against infected people.It is recommended that the HIV/AIDS training should not only be knowledge-based, butrather be coupled with skills training and development. The latter combination will allowlearners to be even more effective and better equipped to share important and relevantHIV/AIDS information with significant others. Parents who will be able to talk to theirchildren about HIV/AIDS issues will create an environment of trust between them and atthe same time their children can also verify information they had gotten from the 'street'.In order to reach more people regarding HIV/AIDS education it is thus recommendedthat ALCs (Adult Learning Centres) and the private sector should start negotiations abouthow they can complement each other in terms of educating not only their workers, butalso their workers' family members.Hoping for a vaccine or cure for HIV/AIDS at this stage is an unsound strategy. Wemight not have a medical vaccine, but our only vaccine against HIV is education. Therelevant South African government departments (Education, Health and Labour) togetherwith the private sector and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations) need to startnegotiations in order to share a common goal and vision regarding HIV/AIDS educationand training. Further research regarding HIV/AIDS and related issues remains of theutmost importance.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University