We have all learnt that health pandemics require communities to come together to spread awareness and curb misinformation. Empowering our communities to be informed contributes to fighting stigma , to supporting friends, family and neighbours, and to encouraging positive behaviours. This year the 1st Malvern Scout Group in KZN commemorated World AIDS Day again in an effort to raise awareness about the HIV and AIDS pandemic, and support local community projects.
“Our Scout Group has close ties with the nearby Ethelbert Child and Youth Care Centre.. We wanted to support the children in the centre while teaching our Scouts more about the pandemic, and raising awareness in our community”, explains Scout Group Leader Guy Caws. “In their Patrols, our Scouts discussed HIV and AIDS and created banners raising awareness about the pandemic. With the help of adult volunteers, brown paper bags with candles inside were sold to local community members. The buyers then wrote messages on the bags to loved-ones they lost to AIDS”, he continues. ” On Friday the 29th of November, the bags were placed in an ‘AIDS ribbon formation’ and the candles were lit in memory of those who struggled with AIDS. The money raised from the sale of the bags was donated to Adrienne van Der Watt, Manager at the Ethelbert Child and Youth Care Centre. The evening closed with a traditional Scout campfire.”
This is the 4th time the 1st Malvern Scouts commemorate World AIDS Day. “This year we did something different that was inspired by a family holiday I had many years ago. I went to visit my brother who lives in New Jersey (New York) for Christmas. On Christmas eve ladies were selling brown paper bags with candles, which were then lined up and down the snow-covered streets in the neighbourhood. It was beautiful. This year we wanted to do something that would be special so we opted to do the same.”
Through this initiative the Scouts were able to learn more about what HIV and AIDS entails and through peer discussions gained factual information that can influence their own choices and attitudes going forward. The Scouts will all be receiving their SCOUTS South Africa HIV & AIDS Challenge badges in the new year.
Photo: Patrol Leader Ziya Shaik presenting Adrienne van Der Watt, Manager at Ethelbert, with the funds raised.