With over 30 million people in Africa now living with HIV and Aids, the situation may seem hopeless. But whoever you are you can still make a difference. Martin Flynn spoke to a unique VSO volunteer
A young handsome prince is possibly the last person you'd expect to be working on the frontline of HIV and Aids education in Africa.
But 28-year-old Prince Mulondo Yosia has left the comfort of the royal village of Mengo near Kampala, in Uganda, to work as a volunteer for Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) in a remote part of rural Mozambique.
Prince Yosia explains: "I'm a prince of the Bugandan tribe which is the biggest group in Uganda and has a population of over 10 million. My uncle is from the Kabaka, which is an ancient royal lineage.
"My family thought it was a good idea for me to get involved in HIV education because we've witnessed so many close friends and family dying from Aids. I wanted to share the knowledge and skills I've learnt.
"It's quite unusual culturally for a prince to serve others but the impact of HIV and Aids, which has no boundaries, means the work is so important. The fact that I am a prince has positively affected my work in both Uganda and Mozambique. For example, if a royal person talks about an issue it is taken to be very important and must be taken seriously.
"One thing which I've found really amusing is that most people here think that volunteering is only for whites. The guys at my workplace told me they thought I was white when they were told I was coming."
What are you doing in Mozambique?
"I'm
acting as an HIV trainer and educator in Zambezia province developing materials
that can be integrated into the classroom. It's one of the worst-hit areas of
the country, where the Zambezi River goes out into the Indian Ocean.
"It's a new policy in Mozambique to teach about HIV and Aids in schools. We go around the schools and teach a selection of pupils from each class and they then pass on what they've learned. We teach the basics of sexual and reproductive health and explain really simple stuff about the blood and human biology.
"The government approach is to use fear but we try and show positive messages of people caring for those with Aids. We try and show that you can care for, look after and love someone with Aids. We travel round the remote villages and use drama to act out the message.
"As many as one in four people in Mozambique now has HIV or Aids and it's the seventh worst-affected country in the world. The 20-year civil war and floods and famines have made the problem even worse."
Is it ok to speak openly to the students about sex?
"It's a major problem. It's ok to talk about HIV and Aids but very difficult to talk openly about sex. People tell us they're glad we're talking about Aids but ask us 'Don't mention sex'.
Is stigma against people with HIV a big problem?
"Lots of people don't believe that HIV and Aids exists. They think that HIV is an external or foreign thing that's not really among them. They've seen the signs and symptoms for over 20 years so they don't believe it's something new.
"In Uganda, Aids used to be called 'Slim' which is a good description of what happens. Part of the problem of any sex education aimed at young people is that they feel fit and healthy and don't think HIV and Aids is a problem for them. Sex is regarded as something perfectly natural so you just can't tell people to avoid it. We really have to challenge cultural traditions to talk openly about condoms and sex.
"In
Mozambique there is a mixture of religious beliefs. It was Portuguese for centuries
but remains less Roman Catholic than Uganda. Most medicine is traditional and
some of the healers believe they have their own cures for Aids. Many people don't
even go to the hospitals.
"I think the HIV and Aids figures across Africa are even worse than those published because countries only count the people who go to the hospitals. So the HIV infection rates could be as high as 30 or 40 per cent of the population."
Why is Prince Yosia working in Mozambique rather than in his own country? Stephen Nock, advocacy campaigns officer at VSO, explains:
"We're recruiting volunteers from one country to work in others. It's a new programme called 'South to South'. VSO has over 2,000 volunteers working overseas and we're desperate for new ones, especially those with useful and specific professional skills and experience. People with professional experience are particularly needed at the moment."
What about people who are HIV positive getting involved?
"We welcome people as volunteers or as campaigners. We have an equal opportunities policy and if you have a disability we have to make adjustments when people have the skills needed.
"We don't just work in the medical field. We're after teachers, engineers, biologists, chemists, agricultural workers - a wide range of different people.
"Another key thing is that VSO doesn't just use young people as volunteers. People often come to us between jobs or to take a break from their careers."
What kind of support do you give VSO volunteers?
"We
have offices in every country we work in. We don't just parachute volunteers in
and tell them to get on with it. They all get training and support - about language,
local culture and politics - so they are fully prepared and know what to expect.
We work closely with local communities so our volunteers are not isolated and
become part of the community they're working in."
Going back to Prince Yosia. Why do you do it?
"I used to think that Aids was just 'out there' killing people. I didn't know it could come near. But I had a rich uncle who died of Aids and this made me realise that it has no discrimination and can kill rich and poor alike. So that's how I got into Aids education when I was at university. When VSO opened up an office in Kenya, I fitted the qualifications they needed so that's how I got into it.
"I remember going to a workshop which really inspired me. Local leaders were arguing that it is mosquitoes which spread Aids and one person said: 'When you kill them, you see blood'. So if a leader believes this then the people are really being misled.
"I knew then I had to work and teach people the truth about HIV rather than the myths and lies."
How do you get on with the people in Mozambique?
"Really well. I'm learning Portuguese and the people are a little bit similar to Ugandans. My family background has helped open doors and got more people to listen. When the people find out I am a royal person they listen really fast.
"Where I'm staying it's only 200 metres from the cemetery. The hospital is on the left and the cemetery is on the right. Every day as I sit on my veranda people pass in funeral processions. And most of the deaths are because of Aids. People follow behind the trucks singing. Every day I count the funerals. It's very moving and emotional and makes you realise how important our work is."
Any message to Positive Nation readers?
Prince Yosia: "Try and use your knowledge to make change. Everybody has got something they can give."
VSO's Stephen: "We should all support the Stop Aids Campaign which is an alliance of 22 charities in the UK which unites around campaigning for HIV and Aids in the third world. It's about extending treatment access and putting pressure on governments to do more."
