Knysna Aids Council Teams Up with Magnum Shield to Promote Awareness
Knysna AIDS Council and Magnum Shield, a provider of security services, recently teamed up to take a major step forward in spreading awareness about HIV/AIDS in the southern Cape region.
Thirty-one employees at Magnum Shield's Knysna office participated last month in workshops led by Knysna AIDS Council staff.
"People are our main assets. Our service depends on our staff, and their well-being is our concern," said Rassie Erasmus, division training manager for the Cape region at Magnum Shield. "If we have healthy staff, they will grow, and our company will grow. It's a partnership between the staff and the company."
Magnum Shield's decision to enrol its employees in the half-day workshops highlights a growing awareness among area employers of the threats posed to their businesses by HIV/AIDS.
Knysna AIDS Council has also led workshops for employees of Knysna Municipality, as well as for staff at Metallic Mermaid, a maker of handcrafted beaded jewellery and fashion accessories.
Erasmus added that since the workshops took place, a more open atmosphere has prevailed at Magnum Shield, helping to improve communication among employees and management. The company employs about 150 people in Knysna and plans to enrol more of its staff in the workshops, Erasmus added.
Topics covered at the workshops include the following: common misconceptions about HIV/AIDS; differences between HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases; condom usage; gender issues such as vulnerability of women; and pre- and post-test counselling. The courses do not include HIV/AIDS testing, although the counsellors can provide information on appropriate clinics.
The cost of the workshops is as little as R100 per person for three hours.
The workshops can be provided in English, Afrikaans or Xhosa.
For more details, contact Knysna AIDS Council at 044-382-0989.
The workshops are one of the main services offered by the Council, a registered NGO (non-governmental organisation). The Council is supported by Knysna Municipality but receives no funding from the regional or national government, making it largely dependant on donations and the efforts of its volunteers. The Council has just four paid staff members.
The Knysna area is thought to be one of the regions in South Africa hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. In 2004 a total of 5787 people received free counselling and testing for HIV in government clinics in Knysna, Sedgefield and Plettenberg Bay, with 20% of these people found to be HIV positive.
Knysna AIDS Council and Magnum Shield, a provider of security services, recently teamed up to take a major step forward in spreading awareness about HIV/AIDS in the southern Cape region.
Thirty-one employees at Magnum Shield's Knysna office participated last month in workshops led by Knysna AIDS Council staff.
"People are our main assets. Our service depends on our staff, and their well-being is our concern," said Rassie Erasmus, division training manager for the Cape region at Magnum Shield. "If we have healthy staff, they will grow, and our company will grow. It's a partnership between the staff and the company."
Magnum Shield's decision to enrol its employees in the half-day workshops highlights a growing awareness among area employers of the threats posed to their businesses by HIV/AIDS.
Knysna AIDS Council has also led workshops for employees of Knysna Municipality, as well as for staff at Metallic Mermaid, a maker of handcrafted beaded jewellery and fashion accessories.
Erasmus added that since the workshops took place, a more open atmosphere has prevailed at Magnum Shield, helping to improve communication among employees and management. The company employs about 150 people in Knysna and plans to enrol more of its staff in the workshops, Erasmus added.
Topics covered at the workshops include the following: common misconceptions about HIV/AIDS; differences between HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases; condom usage; gender issues such as vulnerability of women; and pre- and post-test counselling. The courses do not include HIV/AIDS testing, although the counsellors can provide information on appropriate clinics.
The cost of the workshops is as little as R100 per person for three hours.
The workshops can be provided in English, Afrikaans or Xhosa.
For more details, contact Knysna AIDS Council at 044-382-0989.
The workshops are one of the main services offered by the Council, a registered NGO (non-governmental organisation). The Council is supported by Knysna Municipality but receives no funding from the regional or national government, making it largely dependant on donations and the efforts of its volunteers. The Council has just four paid staff members.
The Knysna area is thought to be one of the regions in South Africa hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. In 2004 a total of 5787 people received free counselling and testing for HIV in government clinics in Knysna, Sedgefield and Plettenberg Bay, with 20% of these people found to be HIV positive.
