Subject(s)
Attitude , HIV Infections , Health Promotion , Health Services Misuse , Tuberculosis , VolunteersABSTRACT
Home-based care volunteer (HBCV) identity and how it is shaped was the main focus of the study. Fifteen HBCVs were interviewed about their work and personal life stories and then interviewed reflectively using a narrative interviewing style. Specific attention was paid to contextual meta-narratives and social field narratives in understanding the women's stories. Findings indicate that social field narratives of the women's stories were dominated by negative aspects of gender; poverty and socio-political factors. These were seen to coincide with the 'feminisation of responsibility' in this context effectively coercing the women into agency which manifested as their home-based care work. Meta-narratives influencing the women's lives were dominated by stories of communal motherhood; aspirations to service-oriented work and religious beliefs and commitment. The question of how it is possible for women who are seemingly constrained by oppressive narratives to voluntarily engage in community participation was answered in the women's personal life stories about being compassionate; hopeful; helpful and ambitious and having initiative. These characteristics collectively pointed to personal agency. Exploring connections between the different aspects of identity and context revealed that the women made sense of their community participation through their personal identities as strong and loving mothers. Connections between volunteer personal identity; agency and volunteer group identity were explored to make sense of the link between HBCV identity and volunteerism. The mother identity; encompassing personal agency (strength or power) and love (the meta-narrative of communal motherly love); was salient in influencing community participation of the group
Subject(s)
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome , HIV Infections , Home Care Agencies , Life Support Care , Social Identification , Voluntary Health Agencies , Volunteers , WomenABSTRACT
Objective: The objective of this qualitative study was to identify psychosocial correlates of HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT); with an emphasis on the association between fear of AIDS-related stigma and willingness to have an HIV test. Methods: The study was executed in Limpopo Province at University of Limpopo; Polokwane; South Africa. Focus group interviews were held among 72 students; divided over 10 groups. Results: Results showed that participants had different levels of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and VCT; and that AIDS was still strongly associated with 'death'. Results further demonstrate that HIV/ AIDS related stigma is still a very serious problem in South Africa. Lack of HIV/ AIDS related knowledge; blaming persons with HIV/AIDS for their infection; and the life-threatening character of the disease were seen as the most important determinants of AIDS-related stigma. The main benefit to go for VCT was 'knowing your HIV status'; whereas main barriers for testing were 'fear of being stigmatised' and `fear of knowing your HIV positive status'. Conclusion: Fear of stigmatization is an important barrier to HIV testing and has negative consequences for AIDS prevention and treatment. Interventions to reduce HIV-related stigma are needed in order to foster voluntary HIV counselling and testing in South Africa
Subject(s)
HIV , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome , Counseling , Stereotyping , VolunteersABSTRACT
Since October 1993; two United Nations volunteers have been working attached to the Health Education Division of the Ministry of Health in Lesotho. This experience has been extremely positive. The UN volunteers have participated actively in the work of the United Nations AIDS Task Force; and have even assisted NGOs in the production of health education material on AIDS and other relevant health programmes and compaigns
Subject(s)
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/prevention & control , United Nations , VolunteersABSTRACT
Puli village runs maternal health services using volunteers. The Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) provide ante-natal; maternal and post-natal care. All complicated cases are referred to hospital. The TBA advices women to infants to under-five clinic for growth monitoring and immunization aftersix weeks as well as to attend child spacing and family planning clinics
Subject(s)
Community Health Services , Midwifery , Primary Health Care , VolunteersABSTRACT
On 5th May 1992 a workshop on village health volunteer programmes was held in Blantyre with participants from Malawi based non-governmental organisations (NGOs); the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the donor community. The workshop aimed to examine ways in which village health volunteers (VHVs) can become a long term sustainable resource for the communities within which they work. This paper presents results from two main topics of discussion: first the prerequisites for full cooperation between villages and agencies; and second community support for the agency supervision of VHVs