Introduction
Our workplace intervention started in 2002 with D.D.S. Managing Director Mr Derek Flatt drawing the first HIV and AIDS policy, which was communicated to the employees and also with Chobe Holdings Managing Director Mr Jonathan Gibson who hired the company doctor (Dr Andre Birkenstock). He moves around the lodges with a three dimensional approach (healthy mind, body and soul). We also use the services of Pastor Canaan Chatukuta who visits our lodges and takes care of the spiritual side of mental health promoting Christian values for behaviour change and relationships.
We have enjoyed a close association with outside organisations such as (now closed) C.O.C.E.P.W.A., and with the help of the International Labour Organisation (I.L.O.), the Botswana Business Coalition on Aids (B.B.C.A.) our focal people, lay counsellors and peer educators have received training and development.
With all the support we got from all these people we made our way up till where we proudly stand today recognised as one of the leaders in out industry when it comes to workplace interventions around HIV and AIDS. We received Red Ribbon awards for “best practices” fortwo years in recognition of our workplace interventions and we were also chosen as one of 13 companies by the I.L.O. to be assisted with behaviour change interventions and training.
1. Policy
The first policy was drawn and communicated to all employees in 2003. In 2007 the policy was changed from H.I.V. and A.I.D.S. to Staff Wellness and follows the I.L.O. principles. Before it was changed we were only focusing on H.I.V. and A.I.D.S., now we focus on the general health and other aspects like stress, violence etc. The new policy includes job security for those needing extended time off for medical reasons or to care for family members. This is because we recognise the fact that the majority of our employees are either infected or affected by this pandemic.
2. Prevention
In all our lodges we have condom distribution programme, where all the employees have access to both female and male condoms. Peer educators teach their peers the correct way of using condoms and they do demonstrations. The company Doctor and the staff welfare officers do pre and post test counselling (V.T.C.) being fully trained officers for counselling and HIV testing) and also conduct information, education and communication. Materials are provided e.g. posters, books and videos. As mentioned already we have gone beyond HIV and AIDS and we are looking at the general health of our employees. I have conducted training in house with staff doing policy, condom demonstrations, role plays and as well as training Peer educators, we have implemented staff wellness committees in the lodges. We also have a monthly staff newsletter as well as a suggestion scheme.
We have monthly themes which the peer educators teach the employees every month, the themes include the topics like stress, relationships, and diseases like cancer, heart disease, obesity and many more. There is a correspondence course (Way To Happiness developed by Ron Hubbard in the U.S.) which some of our employees are enrolling for, it teaches people how to live a moral, positive and healthy life. All our Managers in the lodges are trained in first aid and trauma care so they can handle some of the situations out there in the bush and they can assist employees with certain medications. We provide flights, meals and accommodation to the Government District Health Teams (D.H.T.) visiting the lodges on a monthly basis to conduct primary health care, V.T.C. and issue government program drugs like family planning and I.P.T. (TB prevention drug), P.M.T.C.T. (Prevention from mother to child drug therapy). The company doctor visits monthly as well and liaison with the D.H.T. and Maun or Kasane General Hospitals regarding referrals of patients.
3. Treatment, Care and Support
The company has appointed a full time HIV and AIDS coordinator who oversees all the programmes in the company and there are 7 lay counsellors and 14 peer educators trained in-house. Peer educators do monthly talks to the staff at the staff village and they also do individual counselling. our HR Manager represents the H.A.T.A.B Health committee on D.M.S.A.C. (District Multi-Sectoral HIV and AIDS committee).
(Picture Above): Limbo training staff from Sekoma Island Lodge.
4. Stigma Reduction
In our company we try to reduce stigma by participating in green ribbon campaign (“I know my status”). If someone is wearing the ribbon it’s a symbol of knowing one’s status. We also celebrate world aids day with our guests. on this day we do prayers, singing, poems and speech where we share with our guests on what the country and the company are doing to the people of Botswana, and we invite our guests to share with us about their countries. We also involved our guests in activities to celebrate Botswana’s month of prayer in September each year. We are proud of the fact that over 90% of our staff now know their HIV status.
5. Community Outreach
We are dedicated to helping other organisations to have programmes like ours. At the moment we are helping one of our suppliers here in Maun and Kasane to educate their employees and drawing up the workplace policy. we are also working with charity organisations like Love Botswana Outreach Mission and Bana Ba Letsatsi (caring for children at risk). We have a donation programme in the company where our employees and guests donate money and the money is used to support these organisations by buying materials/goods for them. Over the last few months we have contributed over 5000.00 Pula to Love Botswana Outreach mission (for a new orphanage). The money was used to buy an electric geyser and air conditioner. We have employed two boys from Bana Ba Letsatsi on their school holidays to help them earn a living and we intend assisting them with buying school uniforms in the new year.
(Picture above: Desert and Delta Safaris staff handing over the staff donation to Love Botswana Outreach Mission.)6. The Way Forward
Our goals are to have all our employees following the principles of positive living and to have all staff who need ARV (Anti-retroviral) drugs enrolled on the Government MASA program. We want to have 0% deaths from aids related illnesses in our company and a 0% rate of new infections. We want to do as much as we can on community out-reach and we want our employees to know that they have job security and feel no discrimination. We are also aiming at uplifting the status of women in our staff villages through attitude and behaviour change. We are aiming at having 0% babies born HIV positive to employees’ families. We are also addressing the issue of multiple partners in the lodges, through the development of spiritual values. All our endeavours are in line with the Vision 2016 objectives of the Botswana Government which are to have an “educated, informed, prosperous, productive, innovative, compassionate, just, caring, safe, secure, open, democratic, accountable, moral, tolerant, united and proud nation”! Our management and staff are proud of these principles and enjoy sharing their achievements and the success with Government programs with our guests.
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