"Fight Aids, not those living with it," was the slogan of Aids Awareness Week from 23 to 27 June for all schools in Namibia and initiated by the ministry of

basic education, sport and culture with the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef). How sad it must have been for HIV positive parent Johannes Otto and his wife, Katrina to look into the eyes of the 800 learners of the Suiderlig Secondary School at Tseiblaagte in Keetmanshoop, having to tell them how he lives with the disease and that his wife forgave him for being infected by him. Yet the 47 year-old former NDF sergeant, who still was a top athlete in 1995 and diagnosed one year later, had a positive message: He is living with the virus, follows a healthy diet, built his own house as member of the Shack Dwellers Federation and is chairman of the Keetmanshoop Lironga Eparu branch, an organisation founded by people living with Aids.

"Don’t throw your lives away," he pleaded, "prevent Aids, and have a future." The learners of the school know about HIV and Aids and impressed a group of journalists who were taken to Keetmanshoop, Bethanien, Tses and Berseba by Unicef to see for themselves, if Aids awareness had been spread.

Schools have formed Aids Awareness Clubs, the Suiderlig branch was very active with meetings among learners, and it had organised the schools’ awareness celebration, joined by Youth for Christ members. With songs and dramas, attention was drawn to peer pressure and temptations today’s life holds for teenagers, with the ever present threat of possible HIV infection looming like the perpetual shadow. Similarly, learners of PK de Villiers Secondary School had no hesitations using vocabulary like penis, vagina and condom during a most ethically conducted Aids education class, visited by the media group. They voluntarily gave up their free afternoons for the My Future is My Choice project, started four years ago by Unicef with the Namibian government, to learn more about the dreaded disease and how to protect themselves. The books they work with contain 10 sessions for role plays, active discussions on texts that deal with the dangers of unprotective sex, difficult situations like sexual advances and even rape. The maturity of the learners, the way in which they handled surely delicate topics was astounding.

Demonstrations how to use a condom by experienced facilitators are part of the course. So far about 200 000 learners were reached. Not only will they be better prepared for life, but they at the same time will also spread the "message" to their families and communities, hopes Khin-Sandi Lwin, Unicef country director.

"We will soon start a programme for the learners aged 9 to 12, called Window of Hope, in conjunction with the basic education ministry", Lwin said.

At the Keetmanshoop centre for Aids "clients" as they are known there, the Bishop Antonio Chimonello Centre, 150 HIV positive grown ups receive a warm meal twice a week, another 140 are known in the district They come there daily to learn crafts, discuss their problems and simply to have an anchor in their lives. The Catholic Aids Action (CAA) with Sister Agnes as its heart and soul, radiating so much love, runs the centre and understanding, it is touching every visitor.

About 450 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s) come there after school, they too receive a warm meal twice a week. Volunteers go from house to house in the suburbs to check on bedridden people, listen to their needs, look for new children and help where they can. They receive N$ 10 a month for their work, usually paid out every 6 months. "We would love to extend the soup kitchen, but we have neither funds nor food to do that," says Elizabeth Thomas. So far, 2 of 8 small, HIV infected children died, since she became a volunteer in 1998. "The 450 children we look after need clothes, their school fees of some must be paid and a warm meal five time per week would be good," she adds. The centre is in need of food donations and used clothes are most welcome. The CAA has 15 satellite stations in the Karas region and 43 volunteers check on about 2000 OVC’s. PLUS readers wanting to help with donations in cash or kind can phone 063-226 061 or fax to 063-223 434.