* Due to current Covid-19 restrictions this program is not currently running.
In April 2012 Branch Ministries launched a character based In-School HIV Prevention Program in the public schools on a shoestring budget. In 2013 we were rated a "champion" HIV prevention program by the government of Botswana. Since then, the program has expanded its influence and now includes multimedia presentations during regular class times and major school assemblies. The struggle is a dynamic one as we are waging a war for the future of the young people in our town and surrounding villages. It is a war we must win to stop the cycle of HIV-AIDS and the devastation it is bringing to every family in Botswana.
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Rob speaking to a school assembly -
Students in local schools learning about HIV/AIDS prevention -
Peer education in a classroom setting -
Peer educators share character-based multimedia lessons in local schools
This program is both faith based and character based and currently we are reaching 7000 plus students five times annually. We have seen many positive changes among the students we reach. Among the program's achievements is the fact that teen pregnancy and disciplinary problems have lowered in the schools that feature our program. We have also received testimonies of salvation and decisions among young people not to harm themselves. Every student is precious, and we seek to educate and empower them, instill in them positive values, healthy relationship choices, and foster open hearts towards God that they may fulfill their destinies!
AIDS IN AFRICA
HIV/AIDS in Africa is one of the most serious global public health issues of our time, and perhaps, in the history of mankind. In Africa, AIDS is one of the top causes of death. While only comprising slightly under 15% of the total population of the world, Africans account for nearly 70% of those who live with HIV and are dying of AIDS.
Southern Africa exhibits pandemic-level HIV infection rates, with extreme levels in the countries of Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and Zambia. By contrast, some countries in North Africa have HIV prevalence rates lower than most cities in the USA.