Tapes for trucking against Aids
Zibonele Ntuli
18 August 2004
Tape-recorded messages on how to avoid HIV/Aids and other sexually transmitted infections are being distributed free of charge to South Africa's truck drivers by the Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa.
The 24-minute play "It's Hard To Be On The Road", recorded in isiZulu and produced by commercial radio and television drama actors, aims to reduce the spread of the virus among truck drivers.
Scriptwriter and producer Mandla Nkuna said he chose a storyline that drivers and commercial sex workers could relate to.
About 2 000 of the tapes will be distributed.
Martha Molete of the Planned Parenthood Association of SA (PPASA) said the project was one of the many ways her organisation was spreading the message, mostly among men, about practising safe sex and ending the abuse of women and children.
"Men get infected with HIV and then pass the virus on to their partners", Molete said. "In addition, men often abuse women
close to them by insisting on unsafe sex. The problems that begin on the road are transported into the home as well."
Stuarts Transport and Jowells Transport, the first to take delivery of the cassettes, will jointly distribute 400 cassettes to their branches countrywide.
Bryan Selvan of Stuarts Transport said the company is continuously exploring new ideas to fight the pandemic.
"The tapes tie in well with the group's HIV/Aids awareness and education programme", Selvan said.
Source: BuaNews
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