Peer Education Programme against AIDS (PEPAIDS)
Registered Charity No. 1093039 ( England and Wales )
www.pepaids.org
Of the estimated 40 million people worldwide with HIV, almost two thirds live in Sub-Saharan Africa, that's over 28 million. Last year alone AIDS killed 2.3 million Africans. (UNAIDS/WHO, 2001)
What is PEPAIDS?
PEPAIDS is a UK charity that functions solely to fund a Zambian AIDS awareness programme called SAPEP (short for Simalelo, a local Tongan word, AIDS Peer Education Programme). It was set up in 2001 by a UK nurse who came into contact with the project while studying for her nursing degree. This has freed the project from the previous governmental management, including the bureaucracy and poor funding that came with it.
What does SAPEP do?
SAPEP is different from other AIDS projects. It directly addresses the cultural problems that worsen the spread of HIV (the virus which causes AIDS) in Africa. Rather than just educating people about HIV and AIDS, SAPEP equips young people with the life skills they need to overcome cultural pressures. It does this through peer education - an approach which has shown significant success in this area. Youth groups are formed through schools and communities and AIDS education is passed on whilst maintaining a balance with other activities such as sports competitions. SAPEP training initiatives work because they are delivered by volunteers who live in these rural communities, 
understand local needs and are accepted by the local population.
Results
Between January 1999 and December 2001 occurrences of
STD's in the areas where SAPEP operate fell on average by 75%.
More recently two health experts from Manchester University visited
Zambia to undertake an independent assessment of the project.
They carried out research on the scheme and identified further
areas for SAPEP to become involved in, namely the provision of
support to the homeless affected by HIV/AIDS. The subsequent paper
they have written raves about the successes of the project and
is due to be published in the British Medical Journal - if you
would like a copy please drop me an email ( john@onepercentscheme.org
). Both academics have since joined PEPAIDS as trustees.
Plans for the future
The SAPEP project has seen large expansion since PEPAIDS inception,
an extra 11 staff joining in 2003 alone. This has allowed it to
reach much wider areas of Zambia and bring it closer to achieving
its ultimate target of branching to other countries of sub-Saharan
Africa . A major project over the next few years is the construction
of a 'village' to support homeless who are affected by AIDS -
either orphaned children or the terminally ill, previously uncatered
for by the scheme. The village, located 200km southeast of the
capital Lusaka , will include housing, a hospice and clinic. Lots
more info on the website, see below.
Further Info
Best check out the website, www.pepaids.org . There is loads more stuff on the actual programme and the personnel involved. You can also sign up for the PEPAIDS newsletter.
I came into contact with PEPAIDS through a society at Nottingham University set up specifically for the purpose of raising funds for the charity. Currently as chairman for that society I've had lots of contact with the trustees and been able to hear first hand of the successes the project is having. Through this involvement and contact I feel a much stronger connection than simply giving to some big charity where you can't really see where you're money is going. I truly believe that PEPAIDS is going to massive, and having the chance to all support it at this early stage is really exciting. As the year progresses I will keep you up to date will all the stuff that's happening with PEPAIDS and the project it supports in Zambia with the hope of sharing that same sense of excitement and involvement.
John Arnold - March 2004.