Abstract
South Africa faces a serious challenge in its inability to stem the HIV tide. Recent survey results revealed 469 000 new HIV infections in 2012. This means there are 6.4 million people or 12.2% of the population living with HIV. In a context where education to prevent infections are not successful, education to manage the disease and enhance healthy living for the infected and affected becomes paramount. This article reports on an example of such education provided by a large health non-governmental organisation (NGO). It discusses the design piloting, evaluation and monitoring processes involved in creating a life-centred learning programme in response to HIV and AIDS. This work was undertaken as an action research project and produced much learning for all involved. The first part of this article deals with the learning that took place during the course by learners (caregivers) and discusses some of their future learning needs. The second part discusses the learning that took place within the partnership between Caregivers International and the Centre for Adult Education (CAE), specifically catalysed through the action-reflection process. Implications from this research include the need for post-course support of learners and for attending to the injustice of placing the burden of care on the most vulnerable sector of society. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p1646
Highlights
The most recent and authoritative report on HIV infections in South Africa (Human Sciences Research Council, 2014) raises several concerns, some of which have implications for education
South Africa’s HIV-infected population of 6.4 million, combined with improvements with anti-retroviral medication provision means that the country has a very large number of people living with HIV/AIDS
The action-reflection process implemented with the Caregivers International project was undertaken which such purposes in mind and provided a valuable learning opportunity for Caregivers International, the Centre for Adult Education and for the participant caregivers
Summary
The most recent and authoritative report on HIV infections in South Africa (Human Sciences Research Council, 2014) raises several concerns, some of which have implications for education. The survey found that there were 6.4 million people living with HIV, some 12.2% of South Africa’s population. This article reports on an example of such education provided by a large health non-governmental organisation (NGO). In the context of widespread sickness and death resulting from the pandemic, a part of lifelong learning has become literally about the need to learn how to enhance health and prolong life. This article examines one intervention in response to the learning needs created largely by the pandemic.
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