HIV and AIDS Management Unit

Omaheke Region is situated in the eastern part of Namibia and borders Botswana. The Trans Kalahari Highway runs through the region. It is the gateway to Botswana and South Africa ; being used by many truck drivers from neighbouring countries such as Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Where there are people, there are relationships, many involving sex, money, poor and marginalizing women, and under age children and young adults.

HIV and AIDS is the most important development problem facing Omaheke region today. It robs the region of scarce human and financial recourses and thus shadows the regions brilliant social and economic capacity. Published reports show that the percentage of the population infected by HIV in Omaheke rests at between 10%-13.3%, substantially lower than more densely populated areas, such as Walvis Bay and the Caprivi.

RACE (Regional AIDS Committee of Education) plays an important role in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Omaheke region and has the unique opportunity to reach and influence people at the very grass root level of the schools. We are able to equip students and teachers with knowledge and skills that enable them to make positive decisions in order to protect themselves.

The main objectives of RACE Omaheke are:

• To enable teachers, learners and students to develop a common understanding of the definition of the term HIV and AIDS
• To ensure that teachers, learners and students are aware of the impact of HIV and AIDS on the Education Sector.
• To equip teachers with the right information on HIV and AIDS so that they can transfer the right information to the learners and the community.
• To help adults accept that AIDS is the only disease in the history of mankind that can be stopped with a decision and that it is theirs to make, and
• To care for those infected and affected by HIV

• 1. AIDS Awareness Club established in all schools
• 2. Condoms distributed to all cluster centre head for further distribution to all schools in the region.
• 3. Omaheke RACE has trained two primary HIV and AIDS Contact Teachers at each school and it was done successfully through the Sekolo Project during July.
• 4. Programme Support. RACE support schools in their school-initiated HIV and AIDS activities during the AIDS Awareness Week World AIDS Day by providing support through UNICEF
• 5. Management of My Future is My Choice programme. RACE has taken over the management and coordination of UNICEF's (MFMC) program. The RACE Office will also be managing the MFMC Coordinator. Mr. I. Kavejandja was appointed as a RACE Coordinator to assist RACE.
• 6. The RACE office recently trained at least two teachers from every school, on the Senior Window of Hope programme. In all, 62 people were trained from the 33 schools that have grades 6 and 7. We held two workshops, each lasting 5 days. The teachers were trained in the four manuals of the Snr. Window and given chances to prepare and participate in the same games, songs, stories and activities that they will be doing with their clubs. These teachers will organize their clubs and begin with the Snr. Window at the start of the 2006 school year.
• 7. First Aid Kit Distribution. RACE distributed to all schools first aid kits. A session was held at each of the 7 Circuit Offices to inform one teacher from each school about the proper use and handling of the kids by the Ministry of Health.