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Training peer counselors Training peer counselors how to prevent HIV/AIDS is one of the hundreds of ways in which Medical Mission Sisters around the world try to be a healing presence to those in need today. Kenyan Sister Hilda Mubisi, age 26, is in mission in Rubanda, Uganda. Much of her work involves education on how to prevent HIV/AIDS. She organizes 10-day training sessions for young people who wish to be counselors among their peers.
"In brief, our work is to motivate the peer counselors and their youth groups; to supervise the activities of the peer counselors, offering support when and where necessary; and to carry out voluntary counseling and testing," she explains. "To capture the attention of the young people we sometimes use videotapes, which are often very effective in conveying the message," Sister Hilda adds. "The post-test youth groups that are formed by the peer counselors are mainly to work on behavior change, something that we all know requires great determination, will power, and God's grace."
Sister Hilda also hopes that the post-test youth clubs will be able to remove some of the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS. "The stigma takes away hope, friends, family, your way of life and future expectations," she says. "You can live with HIV, but you cannot live with the stigma that surrounds it." Mary (not her real name), a peer counselor trained by Sister Hilda, is a school dropout with 7 brothers and sisters, living with an alcoholic father. Because Mary believes that she and many other young people living in similar situations are at high risk of HIV infection, she is very busy organizing youth groups to discuss HIV and AIDS. Sister Hilda recalls, "Once when we were discussing with the peer counselors the different names we can substitute for 'behavior change,' Mary suggested 'pulling out a weed and planting a flower.' With these words, Mary summarized the goal of the youth project."
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