HIV and AIDS Management Unit

2006 Word AIDS Day Commemoration under the theme: "STOP AIDS AND KEEP YOUR PROMISE" at the Regional Office.

Region Description: Oshikoto Region is in the northern centralpart of Namibia. It includes such attractions as Etosha National Park and Ongopolo Mining and Processing with its prominent community of Tsumeb. The education region is divided into five Administrative Circuits: Omuthiya, Onathinge, Onyaanya, Oshigambo and Oshivelo. There are 185 schools, 1,989 teachers and 58,420 learners in the Region.

Purpose: The Regional AIDS Committee of Education, commonly known as RACE, is responsible for coordinating and expanding HIV and AIDS activities within the education sector. RACE accomplishes this by promoting a greater knowledge and understanding of HIV and AIDS, and disseminating prevention strategies among school staff, learners and community members. Thus, RACE hopes to establish relationships with everyone who is committed to eradicating the AIDS epidemic from our country.

Structure: RACE is composed of members of the regional management team, Inspectors of Education, Advisory Teachers, Regional Coordinator: CALL, Education Planners, Regional School Counsellors, School Principals, TRC personnel and the My Future is My Choice (MFMC) Coordinator. These members lend their expertise on how to make RACE's activities most effective. The full-time RACE Coordinator is the liaison between the Committee and the schools to ensure that the needs of individual schools and Circuits are met. Please see the list of RACE members below.

School Services: RACE provides the following services to schools:

1. Presentations. RACE is available for presentations at schools and to assist in initiating an AIDS Awareness Club. If schools would like an AIDS Service Organization to present at the school, RACE gives them the appropriate information to make the appointment.

2. Material Distribution. RACE distributes materials to supplement HIV and AIDS education in schools. RACE distributes materials such as leaflets, posters and games. We can also help to brainstorm ideas for HIV and AIDS-related activities. In order for this to be successful, RACE regularly liaises with HAMU and UNICEF to have adequate supplies to give to the schools.

3. Condom Supply. RACE distributes boxes of condoms to Circuit Offices, Cluster Centers and to the general public.

4. Contact Teacher Training. Oshikoto RACE has committed to training two HIV and AIDS Contact Teachers at each school. In 2007, the Region has 203 Contact Teachers. Contact Teachers are chosen by the principal to:
· be responsible for AIDS Awareness Clubs
· be the primary contacts between RACE and the schools
· help with teacher training
· be contact teachers for MFMC
· initiative School HIV & AIDS Advisory Committees
· manage the implementation of activities for special events such as AIDS Awareness Week and World AIDS Day

There are at least two (2) Mentor Teachers for HIV and AIDS in each Circuit. There are 17 Mentor Teachers in Oshikoto Region. The Mentor Teachers are responsible for:
· Be the focal person for the Regional AIDS Committee for Education at the Cluster level
· Plan, Implement and Monitor the HIV and AIDS Annual Activities at the Cluster level
· Be the lead agent in establishing and activating School AIDS Advisory Committees at all schools in the Cluster
· Be the lead agents in establishing AIDS Awareness Clubs, Girls Clubs, Youth Clubs, etc. at all Schools in the Cluster
· Be the lead agents in preparing National Events such as AIDS Awareness Week, Condom Day, World AIDS Day, etc.
· Represent the RACE at the Principals' meetings at Cluster level
· Sensitize the Principals on HIV and AIDS Activities at the Cluster level
· Assist the RACE Office in organizing and conducting workshops in their clusters
· Assist the RACE Office in Training Workshops anywhere in the Region
· Initiate AIDS Awareness programmes within the Cluster
· Implement and Monitor Window of Hope and My Future is My Choice programs at the school where the Mentor is based.
· Maintain the file for Cluster HIV and AIDS activities
· Share information on HIV and AIDS with all the Teachers within the Cluster and the Circuit
· Be responsible for any other activities as delegated by the RACE

5. Programme Support. RACE will support schools in their school-initiated HIV and AIDS activities. These can be activities centred on national/international events (i.e. World AIDS Day or AIDS Awareness Week) or other HIV and AIDS activities developed by the schools.

6. School HIV and AIDS Advisory Committees. According to the National Policy on HIV and AIDS for the Education Sector, each school is to have a HIV and AIDS Advisory Committee composed of education sector employees, parents, local medical professionals, traditional healers, RACE and support and counselling services. The committees are responsible for developing school-specific plans on how to implement the National Policy. In addition, all school activities are to be managed under the Advisory Committee. Inspectors of Education, with assistance from RACE, will serve as resources to schools in Advisory Committee development. Currently, RACE is distributing a guideline to assist schools in developing School Advisory Committees.

7. Implementation and Management of My Future is My Choice (MFMC). RACE has taken over the management and coordination of the MFMC program. MFMC is a peer-education training on life skills for HIV prevention. It targets adolescents aged 15 and above with information and skills around reproductive health, HIV & AIDS, decision-making, relationships, alcohol abuse and values. MFMC is an official extracurricular activity that should be offered at all secondary schools.

8. Hostel Staff Training. RACE has completed a Hostel Managers HIV and AIDS training in order to ensure that the hostels comply with the mandates in the National Policy on HIV & AIDS in the Education Sector. RACE collaborated with the Hostels Division to successfully develop, organize and deliver the training. The hostel managers will take this information back to all hostel staff.

9. First Aid Kit Distribution. RACE ensured that all schools in the Region received the USAID-funded first aid kits. A session was held at each of the 5 Circuit Offices to inform one teacher from each school about the proper use and maintenance of the kit. These sessions were done in collaboration with the Primary Health Care Division of local hospitals. The hospitals sent Primary Health Care nurses to ensure that the information given to the teachers about the use of the kits complied with the Universal Precautions outlined in the National Policy on HIV & AIDS for the Education Sector. A monitoring system was also put into place by RACE to ensure the kits were restocked in a timely manner.

10. Newsletter. RACE publishes a newsletter each term highlighting HIV & AIDS Awareness Activities in the Region. The newsletter also highlights resources and activities for the schools to make their awareness programs more robust.

11. National HIV & AIDS Awareness Event Support. RACE organizes regional activities for national events like AIDS Awareness Week, World AIDS Day and Condom Day. This includes communicating to schools, providing/distributing resources to 185 schools and visiting schools upon request for those events.

2005 Regional Office World AIDS Day Commemoration.