By Nangamso Mabindla
15 February 2006

IN ITS efforts to educate its staff about HIV and Aids, Buffalo City Municipality has employed a peer educator co-ordinator.

Tembeni Mame has already started holding workshops to educate managers about ways to deal with HIV and Aids in the workplace. Talking about his role Mame, who is seconded by the Epicentre, says he will interview people who are interested in becoming peer educators.

"I will work closely with occupational nurses, and form support groups for everybody within the municipality. Last week I held a week-long workshop with the City’s managers and union leaders educating them about mainstreaming HIV and Aids in the workplace," Mame says.

Following the workshop municipal managers’ and union leaders’ attitudes about the pandemic changed.

"They told me that the workshop was an eye-opener for them. They said they would really try to adjust their attitudes about HIV and Aids and other challenges, like alcohol and drug abuse, faced by employees."

Through this kind of education municipal employees will be able to gain knowledge about policies regarding their problems.

"We aim to teach people about these policies. In fact, we will encourage them to contact the employment assistance programme unit to assist them access these policies," Mame adds.

Looking ahead, Mame says he has planned interviews with peer educators from King William’s Town, East London and Mdantsane.

"We are looking at interviewing about 200 peer educators for the municipality. We want to train them to teach HIV-positive employees about living positive lives, despite their status, and also to encourage people to be agents of change and alter their perception about HIV and Aids," he says.

"After their training, these peer educators will be placed in their respective areas to impart knowledge to municipal employees."

And Mame says he is the right man for the job because he has done work with the National Association of People Living with Aids, the East Cape Aids Ambassador and has been a guest speaker at HIV and Aids events.

"I intend to work very closely with the employees and managers to ensure that this initiative is a success."