Thabiso* (22), grew up under difficult circumstances after losing
her mother at the age of 6. She lives with her grandmother and four siblings in
Siadindi village, a fishing community in Binga district, one of the most
underserved areas of the country.
Thabiso never thought that one day she would become an influential
force in her community. Leaning on her bicycle, she smiles and speaks proudly
of her role as a Community Adolescent Treatment Supporter (CATS), helping to
transform the lives of adolescents living with HIV in her community.
“After mum died in 2002, dad remarried [and has a new family] so,
many people now look up to him [and] he does not earn enough to cater for all
our needs. We hardly had enough money to spend on the most basic needs. School
fees were our greatest challenge, that forced my brother who comes after me to
drop out of school at form three,” said Thabiso.
“I grew up a miserable person with no one willing to be associated
with me. At some point I thought I was of no value at all, but through my role
as a CATS I am now recognised in our community,” added Thabiso.
The CATS are volunteer counsellors aged 18-24, who are HIV positive
themselves. They are trained to provide peer support to young people living
with HIV and AIDS in communities affected by poverty, drought, and HIV as part
of a ‘cash and care’ model to build the resilience of girls and reduce their
vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
The ‘cash’ component is an unconditional transfer
of US$20-50, paid every two months depending on household size under a UNICEF
-supported Harmonised Social Cash Transfer (HSCT) programme. Through the pay
points of the HSCT, the CATS contribute to the ‘care’: helping to sensitize
HSCT beneficiaries on the role and services they provide to children,
adolescents and young people living with HIV.
CATS provide support through group meetings, and home and health
facility visits. In addition, the volunteers offer counselling services to
caregivers to assist them in explaining to minors living with HIV, the nature
of their illness and minimise the risk of them defaulting in taking their
medication.
Some of the children and adolescents living with HIV have faced
stigma, discrimination and sometimes rejection by families as well as abuse
leading to failure in adherence to their treatment when issues remain
unresolved.
CATS address sexual reproductive health issues, life skills, adherence, and coping skills and are also instrumental in identifying and referring child welfare and child protection cases in the community. Thabiso* (22), grew up under difficult circumstances after losing her mother at the age of 6. She lives with her grandmother and four siblings in Siadindi village, a fishing community in Binga district, one of the most underserved areas of the country.
Thabiso never thought that one day she would become an influential
force in her community. Leaning on her bicycle, she smiles and speaks proudly
of her role as a Community Adolescent Treatment Supporter (CATS), helping to
transform the lives of adolescents living with HIV in her community.
“After mum died in 2002, dad remarried [and has a new family] so,
many people now look up to him [and] he does not earn enough to cater for all
our needs. We hardly had enough money to spend on the most basic needs. School
fees were our greatest challenge, that forced my brother who comes after me to
drop out of school at form three,” said Thabiso.
“I grew up a miserable person with no one willing to be associated
with me. At some point I thought I was of no value at all, but through my role
as a CATS I am now recognised in our community,” added Thabiso.
The CATS are volunteer counsellors aged 18-24, who are HIV positive
themselves. They are trained to provide peer support to young people living
with HIV and AIDS in communities affected by poverty, drought, and HIV as part
of a ‘cash and care’ model to build the resilience of girls and reduce their
vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
The ‘cash’ component is an unconditional transfer
of US$20-50, paid every two months depending on household size under a UNICEF
-supported Harmonised Social Cash Transfer (HSCT) programme. Through the pay
points of the HSCT, the CATS contribute to the ‘care’: helping to sensitize
HSCT beneficiaries on the role and services they provide to children,
adolescents and young people living with HIV.
CATS provide support through group meetings, and home and health
facility visits. In addition, the volunteers offer counselling services to
caregivers to assist them in explaining to minors living with HIV, the nature
of their illness and minimise the risk of them defaulting in taking their
medication.
Some of the children and adolescents living with HIV have faced
stigma, discrimination and sometimes rejection by families as well as abuse
leading to failure in adherence to their treatment when issues remain
unresolved.
CATS address sexual reproductive health issues, life skills, adherence, and coping skills and are also instrumental in identifying and referring child welfare and child protection cases in the community.
The Zvandiri Programme
Mugove Gonese mentors CATS in Binga district including Thabiso. She works
with Zvandiri (‘As I am’ in Shona language), a child HIV sensitive programme
implemented by Africaid – a civil society non-governmental organisation
supported by UNICEF, the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the Ministry of
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to keep children, adolescents and
young people living with HIV aged between 6 – 24 years, safe and
confident. CATS are at the core of the
Zvandiri Programme.
“When [CATS] go for home visits, that is when they identify welfare
and protection cases through interacting with clients,” says Mugove. “After
identifying cases, the CATS then refer them to community childcare workers, village
health workers or the Zvandiri mentor, depending on the nature of the case. Those
close to Binga are referred directly to Social Welfare.”
Despite her many challenges, Thabiso completed her secondary education
and therefore met the minimum qualification to be trained as a CATS. She spends
each week travelling long distances, sometimes across difficult terrain, to
reach affected young people.
“For those who are on enhanced viral load, I am supposed to do two visits per week but some of the clients stay more than 10km away from my place so sometimes I pushed myself so hard to manage at least one visit. Those on enhanced viral load require frequent monitoring in order to establish whether they are responding to [their medication]. Those who do not respond, I then refer to the clinic where they will be given a different drug,” said Thabiso.
A holistic
approach to multiple deprivations
UNICEF is supporting the Government of Zimbabwe to address
holistically, a host of social ills that have manifested in communities because
of multiple deprivations for children, adolescents and young people due to
ultra-poverty, food insecurity caused by persistent droughts and the impact of
HIV through a cash and care model of programming. The Harmonised Social Cash Transfer programme
(HSCT) and the National Case Management programme were launched in 2012 with
support from UNICEF and the Governments of the UK, Sweden and Switzerland, with
complementary funding from the Governments of the Netherlands and Japan, to
strengthen care for children and adolescents living with HIV and supporting
services for the most vulnerable children in El Nino-affected communities,
respectively.
Under the Zvandiri Programme, UNICEF supports training and the
procurement of supplies for the CATS including the provision of T-shirts (for
visibility and identification), bicycles and mobile phones loaded with a
real-time monitoring and reporting application.
Zvandiri Mobile Data
Application
Zvandiri Mobile Data Application (ZVAMODA) is the application that
facilitates the recording and uploading of each contact by CATS with their
clients. The data captured is
transmitted to a central point at the district office where the Zvandiri Mentor
reviews, responds and make necessary referrals in accordance with social
workers.
Having a mobile phone and a bicycle enable Thabiso to visit regularly
and connect with her caseload of 30 clients. “The coming of bicycles has
brought a great relief to me. [Before] it was not possible to see all [my
clients] in a month,” said Thabiso. “The [mobile app] gives me the opportunity
to escalate and refer some issues straightaway to the Zvandiri Mentor and get
feedback on how to respond, without having to wait for monthly support group
discussions to be in contact with the mentor.”
CATS can also refer to other service providers, cases of children in
need of birth registration, education assistance, nutritional support or
Assisted Medical Treatment Orders (AMTO), through which Government helps
vulnerable children receive critical medical attention.
“Clients get antiretroviral medication for free, but when they develop other opportunistic infections for which they need to pay for medication, that is when they use AMTO,” said Thabiso.
Her successful role as a CATS, has led Thabiso to select a new
career path. “When I was growing up, I wanted to be a police officer but now I have
set my eyes on a mentor position. I have
enjoyed working as a CATS. Seeing people I have helped, getting better,
motivated me,” Thabiso said.
The duties of the mentor involve coordinating activities of the CATS
as well as offering them refresher training. Thabiso developed soft skills that
will help her achieve her dream of becoming a mentor at some point in future. “[Her]
confidence is growing by the day. She does not mind speaking in public
addressing her peers,” said District Mentor, Mugove.
Before becoming a CATS, Thabiso had an indifferent attitude towards people
living with HIV but that has now changed. “I used to think it is better for
those who are positive to die than to spend their whole life taking pills. I
thought that is burdensome,” said Thabiso, “but through the training I received,
I realised that one can live a normal life and pursue dreams of choice just
like anyone else.”
*Name changed to protect identity.
