| Introduction | JAC-Entrepreneur | |
| Thanda Foundation | JAC-Initiative Star School Project | |
| JAC-Initiative | Bartlow Community Trust - Conservation project | |
The South African nation faces many challenges such as unemployment, poverty, HIV/AIDS and crime. One of the main challenges in fighting HIV/AIDs is to change the mindset of the population. Nearly half of all who contract HIV/AIDS are between the ages of 15 and 24, with the majority contracting it through unsafe sex. Two of the most critical areas in dealing with the spread of HIV/AIDS are awareness and prevention. The rural areas surrounding Thanda have been particularly badly affected by the disease where poverty threatens the likelihood of recovery or even effective administration of the various available drugs.
The Star School project was one of the first projects implemented by the JAC Initiative and is an awareness and prevention program that was started as a pilot project at the Siphosabadletshe High School which is near Hluhluwe in Zululand. This program ran from July to November 2005. After an assessment was concluded at the end of 2005, funding was raised to expand the project to 40 schools in the uMkhanyakude District at a cost of R 32-million. The Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal, through the Health Department, has committed R 16.5-million over 3 years, to be rolled out from 2007 to 2010. The project reaches over 40,000 children with its message of "AIDS-free, that's me" using the techniques of mental vaccination to help learners make informed choices about sexuality.
The Star School Project has also been extended to Namibia with a R 7-million investment and will shortly be launched in Durban through a partnership with Volvo of Sweden. A further R 5-million has been raised for the Durban-Volvo project. Other areas such as the Eastern Cape are being considered for expanding the reach and awareness of the Star School Project.
The project currently employs 22 staff, who are highly qualified and skilled coaches or councillors and trainers. The project's head office operates out of the Thanda Foundation offices.
The Star School Concept
Mission
The Star School mission is to help and support high school students to live an AIDS-free life in order to fulfil their dreams. The message is that even if you are HIV-positive you can still live an AIDS-free life if the course of treatment is followed properly. The project affords students the opportunity of creating dream pictures, linking the dreams, goals, ambitions and aspirations with being AIDS-free. In order to be AIDS-free, students need either to abstain from having sex or if already sexually active, refrain from having unsafe sex.
The mental vaccination concept was formulated by Swedish consultants Thomas and Ziaga Magnusson who very successfully implemented the project in Sweden, "How to stop smoking in 2 hours" combined with a follow-up phase. This project had a 70 % success rate and has been modified to best serve the needs of young learners living in rural KwaZulu-Natal.
The resonant message "AIDS-free, that's me", combined with education and activities, will lead to changed attitudes, values and sexual behaviour. The idea is to run the Star School project over several years to maximise mental vaccination.
The project aims to increase knowledge and awareness about HIV/AIDs and create dreams and hope for the future through education.
The key objectives of this project are:
* to use mental vaccination in order to live an AIDS-free life
* to increase the knowledge about HIV/AIDS
* reduce the numbers of HIV - positive and pregnant students
* to change the students' values and attitudes in a perceptual way
For further information visit www.starschool.co.za
