2015 Young Leadership HIV/AIDS Conference.

On the 5^th of September, young leaders from various structures across the Western Cape universities and TVET colleges met at the CPUT Bellville campus to commence a two day Young Leadership HIV/AIDS Conference.

The focus of the Youth Leaders HIV Conference was to showcase young leadership and HIV, share best practises and challenges.

The Conference Rationale was to support the National HIV/AIDS Strategy through focus areas: Men's Health which includes gender-based violence, voluntary medical male circumcision, health, fitness & nutrition; Women's Health which also includes teenage pregnancy, breast cancer screening, 'sugar daddies', health, nutrition & fitness; HIV Counselling & testing; Alcohol & substance abuse; HIV Curriculum Integration; LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Intersex); Radio & Social media; and HIV Counselling & Testing & Care & Support interventions

Structures that delegated student leadership representatives included Women in Leadership, Peer Educators, Peer Helpers, Debate Society, SASCO,  Religious structures, SRC, House Committees and other student bodies from universities such the Stellenbosch University , University of Cape Town, University Western Cape and TVET colleges.

Among others the conference was graced with the presence of Professor Louis Fourie (the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Knowledge and Information Technology Services from the CPUT institution); Advocate Harper (Acting Dean of Student Affairs); Dr. Ramneek Ahluwalia (Director HEAIDS);  and Sibusiso Twala (CPUT Mowbray LSRC secretary), who all congratulated not only the Peer Educators but students at large for their role in creating awareness of the HIV epidemic and also reminded student leaders to lead from the front and not to lead from the back. 

The HIV epidemic is a fight to be fought by everyone and not just Peer Educators. They also reminded the delegates that attended the conference that education does play a role in this epidemic as our education level is still low not only in South Africa but the entire Africa. Some factors that contribute to the incline of HIV is because some cultures still refuse the use of condoms as it is believed to be ‘un-African’.  It is up to us as young leaders to change that mindset. We need to go back with the information we have learnt and share it with our respective communities.  

Also noticeable among the speakers was a Mechanical Engineering Graduate from the CPUT, Musa Morgan, who invented Uyindoda, Male Medical Circumcision Underwear,  a wound covering bandage for men that have undergone Voluntarily Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) are in the healing process.