By Emmanuel Moyo

Kachila Youth Initiative Organisation (KAYI), a Non-Governmental Organisation in Karonga, has asked community members in the area of Traditional Authority Mwilang’ombe not to side-line HIV as they fight the spread of covid-19 saying HIV can become counterproductive.

This comes as the organisation through its Pankyene Project established that most diseases and infections are being side-lined and more preventive measures are placed towards covid-19 only.

Speaking in an interview after a dialog meeting on Friday with communities members of Mchekacheka, Mwakachunguti and Kaswera in the district, KAYI Executive Director, Mtchona Ngwira, said the fight against HIV and AIDS seems to be forgotten, hence the call.
“Community leaders and other representatives have agreed that it is indeed true that we have forgotten most diseases including HIV/AIDS, so this project is important in this area as it will prevent further spread of HIV which needs our attention as we keep fighting covid-19,” he said.

He has since pointed out that the organisation will implement the project through community empowerment.
“The major thing we are going to do is community empowerment in terms of giving capacity to the communities themselves, so we will also capitalize of risk factors and cultural factors in fighting HIV infection,” he said.

On her part, Mwilang’ombe Area Development Committee (ADC) Chairperson Naomi Mnthali described the project as a timely development saying efforts are indeed needed to prevent HIV.
“This project has come at the right time as it will help us prevent the spread of HIV a thing which we almost side-lined in our day to day activities and with his project we hope to reduce the numbers of people contracting the virus,” she said.

Commenting on the matter, Group Village Head Chikombwe under TA Mwilang’ombe admitted that no efforts were being made towards the fight against the spread of the virus as more efforts were diverted to fighting covid-19.
“We are very thankful for coming in of Kachila because we have been very dormant in fighting the spread of HIV so this project will help us realize and implement ways of reducing the spread of HIV,” he said.

The organization expects to lower the spread of HIV and have an empowered community in the fight against the spread.
KAYI is implementing Pankyene (meaning ‘together’) Community empowerment on HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support project in Mwilang’ombe which will run for 12 months with funding from United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).