MEET Lethubuhle Ngwenya who serves as an Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) Officer for the DREAMS program in Tsholotsho District, Matabeleland North, and Zimbabwe.
“I have a passion for young women. What got me into this role and keeps me motivated are the daily challenges that young women face, their vulnerabilities, and the high HIV prevalence rates. All AGYW registered in the program undergo training in the Health for Life package. The package empowers them with information on HIV prevention, care and treatment and links them to integrated health services for HIV; and screening for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). More than 1,800 AGYW have registered with the DREAMS program and there are over 100 functional community clubs in Tsholotsho District. We have realized a decrease in the number of STIs over the past 2 months and a shift in the mindset of the young women.”
Lethubuhle is one of several AGYW officers under the DREAMS program mentoring and supporting AGYW to become Community Based Facilitators, DREAMS Ambassadors, or PrEP Champions in their communities. These community cadres are advocates for demand creation of HIV services among their peers and work in collaboration with Community Adolescent Treatment Supporters (CATS) offering AGYW HIV self-test kits as well as PrEP.
In Zimbabwe, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is working through both the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Zimbabwe to support the DREAMS program to reduce new HIV infections among AGYW aged 10 – 24. ZimPAAC, with funding from CDC Zimbabwe, is implementing the DREAMS program in, Tsholotsho, Nkayi, Bubi, and Lupane Districts since October 2020. Source-U.S. Embassy Harare.
