Zimbabwe: World AIDS day: Getting to ZERO

Setting the scene: People begin to arrive at Lubimbi primary school as the stakeholders take their place under the canvas.

Opening event: Students of Lubimbi primary and secondary march the grounds.

Snap happy: UK volunteer Kelly spends time with Lubimbi high Media club teaching them how to use a digital camera.

Ntengwe: Banner is displayed as they deliver their HIV based poem to the crowd of around 1,500. 

Performance by Basilwizi volunteers:

GET TO ZERO MY RESPONSIBILITY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Have you ever heard about GETTING TO ZERO?

If not, getting to zero is all about zero new HIV

Infections, zero related HIV deaths and zero related

HIV discrimination 

To achieve this, is my responsibility and 

Your responsibility

Boys and girls, fathers and mothers

Let’s come together and sing the

Song of getting to zero.

Constant use of condoms;

Let it be a norm and value of our daily basis.

Then, view this as my responsibility

And your responsibility

Know your status, get tested now

For the knowhow of your life

If we can, then getting to zero is possible

And there will be no new HIV infections.

Let it be my responsibility and your 

Responsibility

Practise faithfulness to your one beloved partner.

Stay away from the spirit of unsatisfactory,

For zero new HIV infections, this is my responsibility

And your responsibility

Youths and the unmarried ones you are at risk

And you are the calculated victims of this endemic

And pandemic disease, so to stay safe practise

Abstinence to its maximum capacities in order to 

Have no new HIV infection.

Let it be my responsibility and your responsibility.

Socialisation with people living with HIV should

Be part and parcel of our daily lives.

Let us include them in all our community activities.

They are as good as anyone else in the country.

Remember discrimination is a weapon of mass destruction.

Let us fight tirelessly against it, so getting to zero HIV related

Discrimination is my responsibility and your responsibility.

If we can follow the said information, then we will have

Zero HIV related deaths, zero new HIV infections

And zero HIV related discrimination, 

Being engineered by my responsibility and your responsibility.

Skinny. V. Mwiinde. 

Children watch and listen intently to the entertainment of the day.

Winding down: Basilwizi volunteer Kelly and Ntengwe volunteer Peter join in the fun, dancing with national women as World AIDS day comes to an end.  

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By Kelly M Diggle and Skinny Mwiinde