Botswana: Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture (MYSC) through the Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC) continue to spread the Month of Youth Against Aids (MYAA) messages in the Oodi locality. The post launch activity was held in partnership with various key stakeholders, which included Stepping Stones International, District Aids Committee and the National Aids and Health Promotion Agency, among others.
Speaking at the event, which was well attended by members of the youth demographic from the Oodi locality, the Deputy Principal at the Oodi College of Applied Arts and Technology (OCAAT), Innocent Mannathoko, noted that “the journey to self-discovery is not easy considering that Batswana have evolved from traditionalists to cosmopolitans. This change has had negative consequences on our society, namely, the advent of social ills such as Gender Based Violence, drug and substance abuse, depression and increased HIV/AIDS prevalence rates.”
In addition, Mr Mannathoko implored Civil Society Organisations, Non-governmental organizations and the Government to continue to work together to come up with strategies that will educate the youth about HIV/Aids and, as such, reduce prevalence rates.
For his part, Kgatleng District AIDS Coordinator Mr Onkabetse Ntswetswe revealed that “quarter three of the 2022/2023 financial year saw the Kgatleng record 59 teenage pregnancies with the majority of cases being recorded in Oodi Village.“
He noted that it is through initiatives like MYAA that stakeholders can take services and knowledge based initiatives to target audiences and, as such, reduce prevalence and incidence rates.
Speaking on the objectives of the Month of Youth Against Aids, Programmes Officer I at MYSC Kgatleng, Ms Gaomonnye Mosarwe, noted that “MYAA has been commemorated since 1996, and is government’s way of developing strategies and aimed at sensitizing communities on the impact HIV/AIDS has on the economy and issues of prevention.” She encouraged members of the youth to heed the call to EQUALISE: End Inequalities, End AIDS by 2036.