Nick Farrell in Kaduna
A partnership struck by the International Federation and the Swiss food multinational Nestlé earlier this year is starting to have an positive impact on Red Cross HIV/AIDS programmes in Nigeria.
Under the agreement signed in June, Nestlé said it would provide three million Swiss francs (US$ two million) over the next three years to the Federation's African Red Cross Red Crescent Health Initiative (ARCHI) 2010. Chief among the health projects targetted were HIV/AIDS schemes in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation.
One such scheme, which enjoys financial support from Nestlé and the British Red Coss, can be seen at the Queen Amina Girls College in Kaduna. There, youth peer educators aim to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases through drama, role-playing and individual counselling.
These peer educators are part of a network of more than 1,300 youth volunteers trained by the Nigerian Red Cross during the first six months of 2002, who are trying to change attutudes to sex by promoting the message of abstinence, faithfulness and condom use for the sexually active.
To date, more than 150,000 young people have been reached by these culturally- and socially-tailored schemes. It is anticipated that more than 1.4 million will receive the message in the next three years. Such activities are seen as crucial considering that an estimated 10 to 15 million people in Nigeria will be infected with HIV by the end of the decade.
"The girls at the school were very knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention," explains Elizabeth Mbizvo, of the International Federation, during her visit to the school in Kaduna. "The challenge is for the girls to take the knowledge and skills they have gained through this experience and put it into practice."
Under the partnership, the Nigerian Red Cross is working closely with Nestlé-Nigeria to develop an HIV/AIDS education program for their employees and the community in which they live. Nestlé-Nigeria employs more than 1,300 people, most of them in Agbara.
HIV/AIDS workshops for the Nestlé employees will have begun by the end of 2002. Next year, a three-pronged action plan, coordinated by the Red Cross, will be developed. This will involve HIV/AIDS awareness among employees, the creation of a group of peer educators in the factory and warehouse and reaching out to the community to conduct HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns.
"This is not just about a donation" Jean-Louis Chaumeil, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Nestlé-Nigeria, explains. "It is about the prevention of HIV/AIDS in the community."
Nigeria is not the only country to benefit from the partnership with Nestlé. Red Cross HIV/AIDS programmes in Kenya are also under way, thanks to the Swiss company's funding.
Related Links:
Nigeria: Appeals, Updates, News Stories and Reports
14 June 2002 - Peer educators and corporate partners key in HIV reduction
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More on: ARCHI 2010
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