Service Yezu Mwiza (SYM), which is part of the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN) work in Burundi through collaboration with ICAP Global health Burundi organized awareness-raising activities in the provinces of Kayanza and Ngozi, on September 9 and 10, 2022, with the aim of informing young people on vacation about pre- and post-exposure prevention to HIV as well as the use of self-testing kit.

The day was marked by the youth partaking in several activities such as basketball matches in Kayanza province, that involved teams from INKINGI, INTAMENWA, University of NGOZI, in Ngozi province. Doctor Emmanuel IRAMBONA and Bella NIHORIMBERE, staff workers at SYM, in Kayanza and Ngozi provinces respectively, used the haft-time period to talk to the youth about topics covering on HIV prevention, pre-and post-exposure as well as the use of self-testing kit as a means of screening for HIV.

In their messages on HIV prevention, there were quiz questions where 24 young people from each province, who had aced the tests, each received a school kit consisting of 4 notebooks of 100 sheets, 4 notebooks of 60 sheets, 4 notebooks of 48 sheets, 4 pens, a math box and a latte.

After the sports activities, the Director of Service Yezu Mwiza, Father Désiré YAMUREMYE, SJ, thanked the representatives of the provincial administration for having authorized the organization of these activities in their provinces. He said that these activities were organized to raise awareness among adolescents and young people on vacation about HIV prevention, but also to provide them with advice on how to behave once they arrive at school.

The representatives of the provincial administration in the two provinces (the Governor of Ngozi and the chief of staff of the Governor of Kayanza) thanked Service Yezu Mwiza and ICAP Global Health for choosing to organize these activities in their provinces. They also challenged these young people on vacation, who were going to go back to school, to take into consideration the advice received during these sensitizations.

At the end of the basketball  challenge, the winning team in the province of Kayanza and “INTAMENWA” of Ngozi, each received a trophy, a basketball and school kits, that would go along in benefitting the teams.

By, SYM Communication team, and Dennis Owuoche, AJAN Communications