By Sydney Chaima
In a quest to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS among Police officers in the country, the Malawi Police Service in conjunction with Theatre for a Change(TFAC) have embarked on radio a project called “Nzotheka” which aims at equipping the law enforcers with knowledge on HIV and AIDS and how they can protect themselves from the pandemic.
The project consists of a radio program which will come in form of a play and there will be 10 radio listening clubs across the country of which members will be taking part in the scenes of the play.
Speaking during the launch of the project in Lilongwe on thursday commissioner of Police responsible for audit operations Starch Maundala was delighted with the gesture showed by TFAC and said they are eagerly waiting for the commencement of the program in January.
“The program will be an eye opener to Malawi Police Service as the Service is losing a lot of officers due to HIV and Aids as we come to contact with so many people including Sex workers and through the this radio program hope our service will make full use of it and help fight against the Pandemic” he said
In his remarks Theatre for a Change country director Doug Kirke-Smith said they have been working with the Malawi Police Service to promote improve sexual reproductive health with Malawi Police service and actively uphold the rights of commercial sex workers so the purpose was to renew the collaboration with the Police.
“We have worked together for so many years and with HIV prevalence rate still high at Malawi Police Service we therefore decided to renew the collaboration and also to launch Nzotheka radio program which is an interactive radio drama with the purpose of inviting police
officers to take part in the play” Kirke-Smith said.
One of the sex workers only identified as Maggie narrated to the gathering the abuses they encounter in the hands of the law enforcers when caught at their “working” places and said has hope that the program will bring change to the law enforcers.
“When we have been caught by the Police they arrest us, beat us and they tell us to save ourselves, this means sleeping with them so in order to be saved we unwillingly sleep with them and most of the times without a condom and that puts them and us at risk of contracting HIV and thanks to TFAC for Nzotheka program I believe things will be better now” she narrated
Nzotheka radio drama is set to hit the airwaves early January 2016 and will be aired live on Zodiak Broadcasting Station.
