SEEING an Aids-free generation is Rebbeca Njopera’s main purpose in life.
For decades, she has not stopped or looked back working in communities on HIV and Aids issues.
She is a Development Aid from People to People (DAPP) Zimbabwe community mobiliser who has been fighting new HIV and Aids cases in Bindura under the organisation’s HOPE project.
“The current programme I am working on is not the first. I have been doing such programmes for over two decades. In the first one, Total Control of the Epidemic, we conducted door-to-door mobilisation of people to go for HIV testing, knowing their status and post testing counselling services,” she said.
She is now working on the new Aids Free Generation programme as she continues to mobilise people while tirelessly contributing to the country’s HIV and Aids gains.
Last year’s World Aids Day commemorations were held under the theme Let Communities Lead, making Njopera’s efforts relevant.
“We continue mobilising people to go for HIV testing because there are some who have not been tested. For those who tested positive, we have to look for their sexual partners so that we can reach them with the testing services,” she said.
Another aspect of Njopera’s work is to encourage sharing of ideas with HIV positive people in platforms where they also encourage one another to start some income-generating projects.
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“These projects are meant to encourage beneficiaries to be self-reliant, and with the youth, we reach to them on issues like drug abuse. We work with other partners and relevant ministries operational in the area. For example, if there is screening for TB, we refer to the Health ministry and if we see someone who is being abused we refer to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs,” Njopera added.
DAPP Zimbabwe country director Luckson Soda said apart from HIV and Aids programmes at community level, Njopera also focuses on other interventions which include water and sanitation and malaria programmes.
“We also deal with malaria issues as well as WASH [water, sanitation and hygiene] projects. The likes of Njopera assist in capacitating local farmers on food security and nutrition issues,” Soda said.
According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and Aids, to end the Aids epidemic, community responses should be integrated into national Aids plans, from planning and budgeting, to the implementation, monitoring and evaluation phases.
In the 2016 United Nations Political Declaration on Ending Aids, member States affirmed the critical role of communities in advocacy, participation in the co-ordination of Aids responses and service delivery.
Moreover, member States recognised that to meet the fast-track targets, community responses to HIV must be scaled-up and committed to at least 30% of services being community-led by 2030.
