Educating youth and young adults to know their HIV status and encouraging them to pursue a health conscious life style.

Health Counselling and Testing (HCT - previously VCT Plus) is the programme that has joined Tholulwazi Uzivikele's portfolio most recently. The HCT programme seeks to contribute to the reduction of HIV transmission by increasing access to VCT services to targeted youth. The programme also creates referral pathways to enable this target group to access treatment or other related social services.

Why?
As other programmes aim to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in the community, the HCT Programme focuses strongly on prevention of infection and increased health consciousness.

Forum-based Drama

How?
Through forum drama, the HCT team creates awareness among youth on HIV/AIDS related topics. The HCT team arranges workshops with secondary schools in the area (19 schools) to establish good cooperation as a basis for the HCT activities.

The drama that is performed by the HCT team in secondary schools educates vulnerable youth and adults on HIV and on how to avoid contracting this disease. The plays that are performed by the HCT team are based on situations that are relevant to the daily lives of youth in the community.  Romantic relationships, Peer pressure, Unplanned pregnancy, Negotiating safety, Drug abuse and Alcoholism are topics covered during these workshops.     

VCT Counsellor Gugu Makhanya in role play on Peer pressure with students of grade 10.

Voluntary Counselling and testing

Secondly, the VCT Plus Programme encourages youth to volunteer to test and know their HIV status by providing testing facilities at schools.   

Psychosocial support and further education

Thirdly, the HCT Programme encourages youth to access treatment and treatment support after testing. 
HIV support groups are established with the aim of creating a care and support network for infected clients, to reduce stigma and to encourage clients to live a healthy lifestyle. Healthcare Champions are school teachers who serve as communicators between the schools, support groups and Tholulwazi Uzivikele. As educators they play an important role to reduce the vulnerability of youth. A network of schools, churches, soccer clubs and other social clubs play an important role in ensuring that those who are tested negative on HIV, are supported to remain educated on HIV/AIDS and related topics, in order to prevent future infection.