Tomorrow matters, today
MEDIA STATEMENT
Campus radio gets new beat
Johannesburg, 29 May 2014 – A fresh approach using campus radio stations to get the attention of young people and break through current “HIV fatigue” was launched in Johannesburg last night (29 May).
“It is as if the messages around HIV/AIDS are so prevalent that they have become almost part of the background music – they’re out there but you’re no longer consciously aware of them.
“Our new approach will hopefully break through the fatigue factor to make the messaging real and get and retain students’ attention. It is an element of our strategy to engage youth in dialogues through community radios, social media and campus media that has always been advocated by the Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and other partners,” says Dr Ramneek Ahluwalia, director of HEAIDS (Higher Education and Training HIV/AIDS Programme).
Dr Ahluwalia says that HEAIDS’ research among students suggests that 70% use the internet several times a week and 73% listen to campus radio at least two days a week – but only eight percent of students found that campus radio programmes made an impact and took on HIV/AIDS issues more seriously. At present, the main focus of campus radio stations is entertainment, business and current affairs.
The novel approach is known as “Future Beats” and is a youth development and HIV-prevention programme implemented and funded by HEAIDS and the German International Cooperation (GIZ).
Seven campus radio stations across universities in Gauteng, North West and Limpopo are involved in the first phase of the project during which each station will produce evidence-based, coordinated yet individualised content that talks to their diverse audiences in a meaningful way.
The aim is to create greater awareness concerning HIV/AIDS, TB and STIs, as well as related matters, such as human rights, social justice, social, transformation, poverty, youth unemployment, money, alcohol and drug abuse.
Radio programme managers and student journalists were trained to use different and innovative radio and social media formats to raise these issues.
This pilot project will be closely monitored. In the case of a positive outcome, it will be adapted and redesigned and then extended nationally so that 18 campus radio stations will have been included by 2017.
“The heart of our approach is encapsulated in the name of our project: tomorrow matters, today. In essence, let’s think before we do, as what we do now will affect our futures,” says Ahluwalia.
ends
Issued on behalf of HEAIDS by Meropa Communications, tel 0115067300
Contacts for further information or interviews:
Charmaine Khumalo, email , cell 0724448629
Zenzele Bam, email , cell 0728915290
Maria Djordjevic, email
About HEAIDS
The Higher Education and Training HIV/AIDS Programme (HEAIDS) is an initiative of the Department of Higher Education and Training that is undertaken by Higher Education South Africa (HESA) to support public universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges (TVETs) in responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic through their core functions of learning and teaching, research and innovation, and community engagement. As part of an increasingly comprehensive response to HIV, HEAIDS implements a number of programmes and projects in partnership with a wide range of public and private role players. Programme elements include:
- The First Things First HIV counselling and testing campaign.
- HEAIDS-Brothers for Life, a masculinities programmethat includes Medical Male Circumcision. It is promoted as part of a healthy sex life that includes being faithful to a single partner, avoiding alcohol abuse, and wearing condoms.
- HEAIDS-ZAZI, an advocacy and mobilisation campaign that addresses gender inequalities that drive HIV risk, like gender-based violence and transactional sex.
- Balance Your Life, a primary prevention response to alcohol and substance abuse as HIV risk factors, which provides professional assistance to those needing it.
- A programme to develop an enabling environment on campuses and provide access to HIV prevention, care and treatment services for men who have sex with men and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersexed individuals on campuses.
- Acampus radio pilot project that isaimed at developing compelling programming around HIV/AIDS and related topics like gender violence, substance abuse, human rights and social justice.