Ex-combatants, community leaders and members of women groups concluded yesterday a ten-day HIV and AIDS awareness workshop in Rumbek, Lakes State.
The training drew together 28 participants from seven payams in Rumbek Central County and was facilitated and sponsored by UNMIS and UNDP.Ahmed Fadhil, one of the facilitators, explained to Good News Radio the nature of the workshop and the target audience.
Dr. Fadhil said the program was part of a long process of integrating ex-combatants, community leaders and women’s groups to reduce cases of vulnerability to HIV and AIDS.
Dr. Ahmed added that the workshop aimed at equipping community leaders with basic knowledge about HIV and AIDS including communication skills so that they might in turn pass the information to the rest of the community.
Nuha Mohamed, another facilitator who conducted many HIV and AIDs workshops in Southern Sudan, said the training sessions revealed to her different cultural practices including names of sexually transmitted Infections in various languages.
Ms. Mohamed added that many participants started by denying the reality of HIV and AIDs in Sudan but at the end volunteered to take a test in order know their status.
Many organizations in Sudan have undertaken as their priority to bring about HIV and AIDs awareness.