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AFT helps African teachers
fight AIDS Tapping the skills of respected educators  October 22, 2003 NYSUT President Tom Hobart with children in Soweto Township at the site of the Soweto Riot Memorial for the 1976 student uprising. Tom Hobart was humbled by the scourge of AIDS in Africa. "It is sobering to stand in a village devastated by poverty and AIDS, to see hospital wards where patients get the bad news," said the president of New York State United Teachers. Hobart joined forces in September with an American Federation of Teachers delegation under the auspices of the AFT-Africa AIDS education campaign, visiting South Africa, Kenya and Zimbabwe (Hobart is an AFT vice president). The campaign raises teacher awareness, tapping some of the most educated and respected people in various communities. It also provides African teachers with resources to develop effective peer-education programs to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, including counseling and care for those who are sick. The campaign began in 1991 with a pilot program involving collaboration of the AFT and the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA). Representatives met with government health and education officials to identify what HIV/AIDS information teachers need and how to share it. Part of the effort is called The Campaign to Break the Silence - women and men teachers come together to openly discuss sexuality and ways to save lives. Education and literacy Marcia Sutherland, who co-chairs the Save Africa From AIDS campaign at the State University of New York at Albany, agrees that education is a powerful tool. The organization focuses on helping AIDS orphans, promotes literacy among rural villagers and provides resources to control the spread of the disease. "Literacy matters," said Sutherland, a member of the United University Professions, representing SUNY professional and academic faculty. "There is evidence that education is helping bring AIDS rates down in Africa. I am very impressed with AFT's efforts to work with teachers (in Africa) to combat this pandemic." The AFT and ZIMTA have developed training materials for peer-educators, enabling them to conduct professional teacher education workshops in towns and villages. The campaign has expanded to other African countries. Campaign funding comes from union members' donations and grants from the U.S. government. Hobart's group met with AIDS activists and teacher union leaders in sub-Saharan Africa. "With dedicated educators using their skills to further public education, the AFT campaign is saving lives," said Hobart. For information about the AFT-Africa AIDS Campaign, visit www.aft.org. |
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