My background
has always been in health and education. I also
worked as a LifeLine volunteer, and over the years
I became very involved in the training programmes
offered by LifeLine. I’m now the LifeLine Training
Manager, and my portfolio is to set up and co-ordinate
all the in-house training programmes for all LifeLine
centres. These include the personal growth training
courses as well as the communication and counselling
skills courses that we run throughout the year.
In addition to this, I deal with any external
requests, co-ordinating the training programmes
that LifeLine runs for NGOs and businesses.
Before we can enable people to become Peer Educators,
they are asked to explore their own worlds and
attitudes. From here we can move on to unpacking
the myths and misnomers around HIV. We concentrate
on information and education regarding HIV and
AIDS, but we never throw information at the trainees
- we introduce it in an interactive manner so
they are able to process how they feel as they
explore their personal perspective and attitudes.
We introduce counselling skills and use various
HIV and AIDS role-play scenarios so trainees can
practice the skills they learn at each stage.
The facilitator and role-play partner give feedback
and trainees can then practise again, using what
they have learned from the feedback. A person
who is HIV positive forms part of our team, and
for many people the highlight of the course is
meeting and interviewing someone living with HIV
and AIDS. Role-play allows the trainees to put
themselves into the world of the HIV positive
person. They are asked to grapple with HIV related
issues as if they were their own.
When people do Peer Educator Training they have
to look at themselves carefully. The experiential
exercises bring the human and personal element
into the room with them. Trainees who were positive
that they had never behaved in a discriminatory
way realise that discrimination takes many forms.
They are asked to explore their perceptions, address
issues that they may have been unaware of.
I think one of the reasons that our courses are
so effective is that we take LifeLine principles
into every course or workshop that we offer. There
are similar courses being offered by a variety
of groups and organisations, and many of them
are very good. However, they often focus heavily
on the transfer of information. What LifeLine
promotes is the knowledge that listening and communicating
is just as important, if not more so, than being
a channel of information. Communication is such
an integral part of everyday life, but many people
lose sight of this when they are dealing with
others. If we can listen properly, we are truly
engaged with the person who is talking to us.
LifeLine does not believe in “telling” people
what to do. What we want is to create an atmosphere
of trust, to facilitate the process of self-help
through effective and sensitive communication.
None of us are saviours; our job is not to “rescue”
other people. Given the opportunity to explore
problems for themselves, given the correct information,
people are able to decide what course they want
to take. This means that they are fully involved
in the decision making process. They take responsibility
for their lives, and they are strengthened through
this process.
LifeLine doesn’t select the people whom they
think would make “good” Peer Educators. Indeed,
self-selection usually takes place over the course
of the workshop. Some trainees may discover that
this is something they are really cut out for.
Others realise that this will not be the right
thing for them to do. Some learn that they have
personal issues that need addressing before they
can accept the responsibility of educating their
peers.
Whenever we run a course like this, we meet people
who want more. They relate to the LifeLine methods
and they want to do the full Personal Growth course.
In some cases, although the company may be willing
to pay for them to do this, people opt to pay
for themselves. They see it as being part of the
journey – taking responsibility for every aspect
of their personal growth.
The trainees who attend our Peer Educator Training
workshops are drawn from many levels. It’s great
to work with people who are on the ground and
who will, as Educators, be able to meet their
peers at the right level. Sometimes I wish that
more people from management would attend, although
some companies do send their managers to us first.
I often hear that not enough men are chosen to
attend these courses, but on the whole, the people
selected tend to represent the demographics of
the company or organisation.
During the HIV and AIDS Peer Educator Training
workshops, trainees are encouraged to share, to
reveal their feelings and emotions about a highly
charged and sensitive issue. For example, we ask
them to share thoughts and experiences about loss
and bereavement, about prejudice. One of the biggest
concerns among trainees is, “Will this be kept
confidential?” Confidentiality is something that
plays a large part in our training, and we introduce
it into many role-play scenarios. You can be the
best listener in the world, you can give the greatest
advice, you can have all the qualities of a fantastic
counsellor, but this all counts for nothing if
you cannot be trusted to keep what you have learned
about your peers confidential.
It’s difficult to quantify the impact that Peer
Educator Training has had on a company of organisation,
mainly because of the issue of confidentiality.
If someone has approached a Peer Educator, this
is not something that he or she is going to divulge.
We receive anecdotal feedback, and HR Managers
tell us that people who have done the course are
enthusiastic about the skills they have learned.
They also comment on the fact that people within
a company or organisation are talking to each
other more easily.
LifeLine offers refresher courses for Peer Educators
and some corporations and organisations have taken
advantage of this, despite the busy schedules
of their staff. The Educators are always very
enthusiastic about follow-up training. They say
that it re-motivates them, and gives them the
chance to practice and improve on the skills they
have acquired.
Educators are not trained counsellors, and for
this reason, they are taught how to refer people
to organisations or support groups. They are also
taught how to put the proper barriers in place
so that they can handle the people who approach
them in an appropriate way, at an appropriate
time and in an appropriate place. Each Educator
has a manual to use for referrals, and to remind
them of the key structures we have taught them
to put in place.
There is so much to be done - to provide people
with information about HIV and AIDS – to further
awareness. The Peer Educator Training workshops
do brilliant work in this area, and I wish we
could reach more people, in more companies and
organisations. Of course, as always, money is
a big problem, but some companies are now using
their SETA (Sector Educational Training Authority)
allocations for these workshops. I would really
like to see management becoming more involved.
I know I’ve said this already, but I feel it’s
an essential aspect of this programme. Peer Educator
Training should embrace all levels of a company
or organisation.
The more companies and organisations show that
they believe HIV and AIDS awareness and training
to be their responsibility, the more other groups
and organisations will follow the trend. Some
companies have been amazing in this regard. They
have not waited for permission to act. They have
taken the initiative, saying, “People are living
with HIV, people are afraid, people are misinformed.
It is our responsibility to equip our staff to
deal with this.”
HIV and AIDS are tricky areas. It’s uphill work,
trying to change people’s perceptions. Peer Educators
are doing vital work, not only in spreading information,
but also in showing people that they can take
responsibility, they can be pro-active, they have
the resources to manage their lives.
Email: linzi@lifelinewc.org.za
Phone: (021) 461 1113
- I would recommend this to all companies –
it is informative and relaxes you into a better
understanding of HIV and AIDS.
- This course has enriched me as a person and
given me new insights into human nature – very
valuable lessons.
- Five days is far too short!
- You have given me lifetime skills and motivated
me entirely.
*The names of some people
in this story have been changed in keeping with
LifeLine’s policy of confidentiality. |
