Africa Centre Newsletter_dec 2014#Final

8/10/2019 Africa Centre Newsletter_dec 2014#Final

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Your partner in academic excellence and social responsibility

NEWSletter

Prof Jan du Toit, Director of the Africa Cen-

tre for HIV/AIDS Management, has become

one of the first recipients of Stellenbosch

Universitys (SU) Chancellors Award made in rec-

ognition of continued contributions to excellence.

It entails a cash prize of R100 000.

The award was made to him and 14 other

top academic staff members at SUs ninth and

final December graduation ceremony on Friday

(12 December) last week.

Du Toit was commended for his pioneer-

ing work in the battle against HIV/Aids in the

workplace. In the 14 years since the then State

President challenged the University to develop a

programme that would combat HIV/Aids in the

workplace, Du Toit developed the Postgraduate

Diploma in HIV/Aids Management and also

founded the Africa Centre for HIV/Aids Manage-ment in the Department of Industrial Psychology,developing it into an independent academicdepartment in 2004. Thereafter followed theMPhil and doctoral programmes in HIV/AidsManagement. More than 4 300 students frommany countries in Africa and the rest of the worldhave successfully completed these programmes.The Centres internationally acclaimed division forEducational Theatre and Creative Arts was alsolaunched under his leadership and has reachedand tested some two million people for HIV over

the last decade. In 2007 Du Toit received the StatePresidents Award for Community Work from thelate Dr Nelson Mandela.

The Chancellors Awards focus on sustainedexcellence in the fields of research, learning andteaching, and/or community interaction.

High honour for Centre Director, Jan du Toit

Did you knowDid you know? You can make a difference by donating to the Africa Centre

and its international HIV educational and prevention

interventions kindly visit https://www.givengain.com/cgi-bin/giga.

cgi?cmd=donate&cause_id=3831 to do so.

Applications for the 2015 intake for the PDM (Postgraduate Diplomain HIV/AIDS Management) are presently being processed and late

applications will still be considered; send an email to Renice Williams

at [email protected]

Up to 7 December this year the latest outbreak of Ebola claimed

6 388 lives. In comparison an average of 3 300 people have died of

Aids in South Africa every week since March.

Dec 2014

www.aidscentre.sun.ac.za

Prof Jan du Toit (left) is picturedhere with Dr Johann Rupert, SUsChancellor, shortly after receivingthe Chancellors Award.

It was an unusual sight in thestreets of Stellenbosch early ona Monday morning a number

of sleek, black, bulletproof SUVsmoving purposefully up BanghoekRoad, swinging left into JoubertStreet and then entering theparking lot of the Africa Centrefor HIV/AIDS Management.

Although some folks brieflymay have thought Hollywood

had come to town, it was actu-ally the United States AssistantSecretary of African Affairs, MsLinda Thomas-Greenfield andmembers of the Consulate staffin Cape Town arriving at theCentre. There to welcome themwere Prof Eugene Cloete, Vice-Rector (Research and Innova-tion), Prof Jan du Toit, Directorof the Africa Centre, and Prof

Jimmie Earl Perry, Director of theCentres Educational Theatre andCreative Arts Programme.

The visit had a dual purpose to sustain and cement therelationships between the twoentities and to introduce Cloete,Du Toit and Perry to the new USConsul General in Cape Town,Mr Teddy Taylor.

Taylor, who until recentlyserved as the Diplomat in Resi-dence at Howard University inWashington, is a career foreignservice officer who has beenposted around the world, fromLatin America to Europe to Asia.

This is his first posting to Africa.He has served as US ambassa-dor to Papua New Guinea, theSolomon Islands and Vanuatu, andprior to that he was PrincipalDeputy Assistant Secretary of

State in the Bureau of HumanResources at the State Depart-ment.

The American visit to theAfrica Centre also centered ondiscussions of how Washingtonand Stellenbosch University (SU)could partner with continuedresearch in areas that wouldbenefit both South Africa andthe United States. Cloete, whois a former Dean of SUs Facultyof Science, engaged Ms Thomas-Greenfield on research and theapplication of the innovativewater filtering sachet or teabag which he invented. Further

talks will hopefully resume onthis possible partnership, as wellas on the Africa Centre engagingmore fully and practically in itscommunity interventions andacademic programmes.

Pictured here during the Americans visit to the Africa Centre are(from the left): Burt Davis, Aloysius D Gowne, Renice Williams,Jane Carpenter-Rock, Jan du Toit, Linda Thomas-Greenfield,Jimmie Earl Perry, Teddy Taylor, Andrea Tomazewicz and Anja Laas.

New US Consul General visits Africa Centre

Trailblazers fromAfrica castmembers ofLucky, the Hero!pictured atNew Yorks

JF KennedyAirport en routeto Venice inFlorida wherethey struckgold (reporton page 4).


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For the past decade the Africa Centre forHIV/AIDS Management has adapted andcommitted its energy to achieving an Aids-

free generation.

A multi-disciplinary approach in the post-graduate, MPhil and PhD programmes hasaccomplished exceptional results. For example,the training of over 4000 students worldwidein HIV/AIDS Managementhas set a benchmark forexcellence in this field.

In partnership withUNAIDS, the NationalDepartment of Health,Stellenbosch University,NRASD (NationalReligious Association forSocial Development),Global Fund andcommunity partners, the Africa Centre hasbecome a principal force focused on thehealing nations through knowledge.

Just as the United States has embarkedon proven strategies, the Africa Centre forHIV/AIDS Management is also focusing onprevention interventions that work. Forinstance, CDCs (Centres for Disease Control)and their partners are pursuing a High-Impact Prevention approach to reducing new

HIV infections. CDC-funded programmesconducted more than 3.5 million HIV tests in2012 diagnosing more than 13,000 new cases.

The USA has been the prime donor to

the Global Fund, contributing $8.5 billion todate. The Global Fund supports much of theAfrica Centres educational and preventativestrategies.

As of December2013, the Global Fundreports that supportedprogrammes have helped:

6.1 million peoplereceive antiretroviraltreatment for HIV/Aids;

detect and treat 11.2million new cases of

infectious TB; and distribute 360 million bed nets to protectfamilies from malaria.

This year the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management at Stellenbosch Universitygraciously acknowledges all those who havesupported our work, engaged in discourse forpositive strategies and results. We especiallysalute the many self-sacrificing individuals,care givers, educators and community activistsfor their absolute dedication.

WORLD AIDS DAY 2014

Focus, Partner, Achieve: An Aids-free Generation 2014 international theme for World AIDS Day

The HIV/Aids epidemic in

South Africa is not over and

people need to recommit

themselves to eradicating

the virus. .

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu

World needs to

refocus attention

on crucial realitiesof HIV/AidsThough the situation vis--vis HIV/Aids had improved,the world needed to refocusattention on the crucial realitiesof the disease, the FW de KlerkFoundation said on World AidsDay, 1 December.

"Each week, every week sinceMarch this year an average of3 300 people have died of Aids

in South Africa," said ExecutiveDirector of the Foundation,Dave Steward.

The media, said Steward, nolonger carried news featuringAids. Nonetheless, he said,Each death is a tragedy tothe families of those whodied, particularly the childrenorphaned by the disease.

The Africa Centres communityinteraction unit, under the auspicesof Prof Jimmie Earl Perry and his

extraordinarily passionate team, hasreached new heights in 2014. Its flagshipproject called Lucky, the Hero! a healtheducation intervention that is entertaininglyfocused on conveying essential HIV,stigma and prevention messages, as well asoffering free and confidential HIV testingservices has for the first time reached

extreme rural communities as far afieldas Ficksburg and Jane Furse in the FreeState and Ermelo and Groblersdal inMpumalanga and also some remote placesin Limpopo.

Since March 2014, the Africa Centrehas reached learners from almost 40schools in Mpumalanga and Limpopo;as well as individuals partaking in theGovernments Community WorkProgrammein the Free State. In theprocess, 62 health interventions wereheld, reaching close to 11000 people and

testing 4 500 of attendees.The Africa Centres Educational

Theatre group was enthusiasticallyreceived during this years road tours,especially by many young learners whoall expressed great appreciation for what

they learned and experienced from thepresentation of Lucky, the Hero.

As one learner, Mmapula Blessy Gal,put it: Thanks guys for what you have done

for us. You changed our lives easily, so thankyou for that. Miss you guys and love you more

than u could ever imagine. I will always think

about you guys and I hope that I will never

forget about u; love u all. The Africa Centre is currently working in

the Thabo Mofutsanyana district munici-pality in the Free State, and the GertSibande and Sekhukhune district muni-cipalities in Mpumalanga and Limpopo,

respectively. If you live and work in theseareas, we urge you to utilize our freeservices at your workplace, school orcommunity. Contact Burt Davis [email protected] or on 021 808-3006 formore information.

Community interaction reaches new frontiers

Eugene Bambiso as Lucky (on the left) doing his first performance of Lucky, the Hero at Vergelegen

Wine Estate, Somerset West. The Africa Centre is delighted to welcome Eugene to the Community

Interaction team. He is a qualified IT technical specialist who is now living his passion on stage

by making a difference in peoples lives. Says Eugene: With my skills and training I believe I will

contribute to the alleviation of new HIV infections and the general success of my country and

community. I take pride in being a member of the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management, we

are proclaiming a message of hope through education.


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Pictured here is the PDM (Postgraduate Diploma in HIV/AIDS Management) class of 2014 attending the Summer School atStellenbosch Universitys Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management. Applications for the 2015 intake are presently being processedand late applications will still be considered; send an email to Renice Williams at [email protected]. The Africa Centre, established inJanuary 2003, today offers one of the most comprehensive HIV training programmes in the world, empowering people to take controlof the epidemic and to reach out to those affected by HIV and Aids. Apart from the PDM, Masters (MPhil) and PhD programmes arealso offered. These programmes are a true reflection of the philosophy of the Centre which is that academic institutions must helptransform society and that academic programmes must have a real-life impact. There are numerous examples of current and paststudents who are already making a huge difference in the management of HIV and Aids in their workplace or environment. To date theCentre has produced 4 300 graduates from 45 countries around the world.

Arlene

set toboogie

her way

through

2015Arlene Willetts, Administrative Assistant at the Africa Centre is resolute in her goal tosimply dance her way through 2015.

Dancing brings balance into my life, it challenges me, keeps me fit and energised tomanage the daily challenges at work and at home. As a child I was lucky to have balletand Spanish dance lessons, but I always wanted to learn Ballroom and Latin dance,elucidates Arlene with a sparkle in her eye.

Arlene explains that where she grew up the lessons she so yearned for were notavailable and then, in 2013, a door of opportunity swung wide open. Says Arlene: I hadthe chance to enter the Dancing in Style Competition organised by the Maties DanceSociety at Stellenbosch University.

And what do you think Arlene did? I grabbed it with both my hands and both myfeet, she says with infectious zest.

Each participant was given an instructor/partner who taught us the four styles ofdance we had to perform in the competition. This was such good fun; it is so wonderfulto be surrounded by people who are as excited about dancing as I am.

The learning curve did not end at midnight for Arlene. I am still dancing and havesince learned many more styles of dance, styles such as the Rumba, Tango, Jive, SlowFoxtrot and more.

In 2014 Arlene successfully completed her Advanced Certificate in Social Dance.That was 2014, what now? The weeks seem to drag by when there are no classesbecause of the exams and holidays. I cant wait for dance classes to resume in 2015!

Among the MPhil students from countriesall over the world who attended a research

proposal writing workshop at the Africa

Centre in September was Dr Vijay Chattu

of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the

University of West Indies, pictured here with

Prof Jan du Toit (left), Director of the Africa

Centre. This was Chattus first visit to Africa.

Chattu commented after the workshop:

This workshop really boosted my morale

and gave me an opportunity to learn from

the experts. This was one of the best training

sessions I have ever attended. It was my first

visit to the Africa continent and to a heavenlyplace like Stellenbosch. This is memorable

and I wish to visit again in future as an

alumni to become more involved with the

activities of the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS

Management.

Arlene Willetts, dancing in style with her

instructor/partner, Craig Andrews.


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Lucky, the Hero nets two top awards in

USA international theatre competitionThe Educational Theatre and Creative Arts Division of Stellenbosch Universitys Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management has

become the first theatre company from Africa to participate in the annual international competition of the American Association

of Community Theatre (AACT). The companys debut appearance in the AACT Worldfest struck gold and the group returned

home with two coveted awards, Outstanding Ensemble Cast and Excellence in Theatre for Social Change.

The Educational Theatreperformers of the AfricaCentre attended the

Olympic Games of communitytheatre in Venice, in the state ofFlorida in the USA in June.

The South African group,one of only 16 theatre groupsinvited from across the world,shared the stage for ten per-formance-filled days, with actorsfrom Latvia, Togo, Australia,

Germany and the United States,among other countries.

The mini musical, Lucky, theHero, written by South Africanauthor and actress, Vicky Davis,was developed and work-shopped by the local actors.Lucky, the Hero is the story ofa young man, a resident Stellen-bosch farm-worker, who has tolearn that the use of condomsand practice of safe sex is to hisown advantage, as well as that

of others. Whats more, hefi

ndsit also makes financial sense toconsider his own and the healthof others.

The AACT WorldFest hasbeen held annually since 1986.Every year the American Asso-

ciation of Community Theatrecreates an opportunity forAmerican community theatre tomeet with similar groups fromacross the world.

The AACT represents some7 000 theatres and more thanone million community theatrevolunteers in the USA. Annuallymore than 45 000 productionsare brought to life for audiencesof more than 7,5 million people.

International theatre and filmcelebrity, Ben Vereen (frequentlyseen on SATV screens), servedas host at the festival.

Professor Jan du Toit, whoheads the Africa Centre, says hisorganizations theatre company under the directorship of therenowned Professor JimmieEarl Perry has participated inmore than 600 performances tonearly 800 000 people since itsinception in 2005. Over 82 per

cent of these audiences weretested for HIV.Perry, UNAIDS Goodwill Am-

bassador to South Africa, is anestablished international singer,actor and director. He has beenpart of high profile productions

such as Jesus Christ Superstar,CATS, Starlight Express (AndrewLloyd-Webber), Miss Saigon andDreamgirls.

Jay Handelman, theatre andtelevision critic and Presidentof the Foundation of theAmerican Critics Association,pronounced singular praisefor the South African produc-tion: Theater also serves apurpose in Lucky, the Hero, a

life-affirming musical producedby the Africa Centre for HIVand AIDS Management, whichsends troupes to rural areas

with lessons about HIV, Aids,

condoms and altering sexual

behaviors.

Lucky is a man who reluc-

tantly gets tested for HIV and

is then shunned when friends

learn he is positive, even though

they continue their irresponsi-

ble ways. He responds by turn-

ing himself into an activist who

becomes a super hero. This is a

simple, yet powerful piece. It is ajoy to watch people embracing

a love of theater and the cheers

that come from the audience.

Its almost impossible to think that there are still

so many people who are uneducated or factually

unaware about HIV/Aids in our country. Going

out to most of our nine provinces each month,

spreading a message of hope, educating our young

people about HIV/Aids, and eliminating the stigma

surrounding the pandemic, is not merely just a

job for me anymore. Its the ideal way for me to

stand tall in the fight against this pandemic that is

destroying our people. It saddens me to think that

South Africa is still the country in the world with the highest percentage of

HIV infected people. One cant turn a blind eye and be ignorant about it

anymore. My personal view is that in order to change the social behaviour

of people we need to equip the leaders of all cultures, religions, and

traditions. They are the ones that should be educating their young folk on

becoming dealers of hope through factual information regarding life saving

sexual and social behaviour. Its time to wake up!

Christy Ann Julies

I started working at the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management at Stellenbosch Universityin 2005. At that time it was all about security,money and stability for me and my family. Notin my wildest dreams did I realize what I wouldbe getting myself into. After ten years as a peereducator, actor and counsellor, I look back withpride knowing its because of me that someone Iperformed to, did not give up. Working in the fieldof HIV/Aids during the past decade was indeed alife changing experience for me. I see my role in

this field as most vital, for I empower people to respect the gift of life, by

knowing their HIV status. Ive experienced various obstacles in thisfield,that has made our work quite challenging, but what is victory without a

struggle? Despite all the challenges and obstacles, we always leave everyintervention with a smile about a job well done for we deliver to peoplethe knowledge of their being a part of the positive and healing changethat we all wish to see in our country.

Percy Speelman

TEN GOLDEN YE RS

TEN GOLDEN YEARSfor Christy nn and Percyfor Christy Ann and PercyPercy Speelman and Christy Ann Julies are the two longest-serving employees of the Educational Theatre and Creative Arts Division of

Stellenbosch Universitys Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management. They have been with the Centres Educational Theatre Unit since itsinception every step of the way, as Percy puts it. Here they share some of their thoughts with us and reflect on the past decade

The Educational Theatre group of the Africa Centre performing at thethe AACT WorldFest in Venice, in the state of Flor ida, USA. They werethe first theatre group from Africa to do so and walked away with twocoveted awards. Picture: Jay Handelman

Documents

Africa Centre Newsletter_dec 2014#Final