By Nangamso Mabindla
8 August 2007

DETERMINED to make a difference and join the fight against HIV and Aids, Siya Peter decided to walk around Eastern Cape province to create awareness about the scourge.

Peter started his initiative in 2004, when he walked from his home in King William’s Town in Buffalo City to Durban. Not even the Eastern Cape’s coldest winter could stop the determined Peter from walking to different municipalities to raise awareness about the disease.

Talking about the reasons he started what he terms the Long Walk to HIV and Aids Freedom, Peter said he wanted to encourage the youth to start taking responsibility regarding the disease.

"I want to mobilise the youth and encourage them to help fight this challenge. HIV and Aids is no longer just a disease; it’s time we treated it as a struggle. It’s not something for individuals to fight; we need to come up with a strategy to fight this struggle."

This year, his walk started on 22 June from the Lukhanji municipality in Chris Hani District in Queenstown. The determined Peter walked with three students from the Walter Sisulu University to Lady Frere, Mthatha and Butterworth in the Transkei. From the Transkei he walked to the Great Kei Municipality and then to Buffalo City.

"In all these municipalities I want to find out about the challenges they come across in this all important fight. I’m also thinking of doing a documentary so that municipalities can learn from each other about ways they use to fight the disease," he said.

In Buffalo City, Peter would meet non-governmental organisations that deal with the disease, the Eastern Cape Aids Council, the Buffalo City Youth Council and visit the Aids ward at the Cecilia Makhiwane Hospital.

"Meeting these different organisations will help me to get the feel of what challenges Buffalo City is faced with. I will then document its experiences and see if other municipalities can learn anything from this municipality."

After learning about ways Buffalo City deals with the challenge of HIV and Aids, Peter will move to Fort Beaufort, Cradock and Takastad, and from there it’s back home for the walker.

His plans for the future include what he terms the Long Walk to 90 Years, to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday. "I will be walking from Mvezo, his birthplace, to where he went to school, then to Robben Island and then to the Union Buildings, where he became president."

Back home, the Chris Hani Municipality is planning a big welcome home party for Peter. "They plan to invite all the municipalities that I have walked to; I’m happy that these municipalities have supported my cause. [Although] I can do with sponsorships to help me with other necessities."