A Bulawayo faith-based organisation is broadening its HIV response by linking prevention programmes with skills training, education and livelihood support, tackling the social and economic drivers that fuel vulnerability to the virus.
Nehemiah Trust, established in 2002 under the Pentecostal Assemblies of Zimbabwe (PAOZ), began as a church-based initiative to break the silence around HIV at a time when the epidemic was devastating communities.
Speaking during a media tour organised by the National Aids Council (Nac) Bulawayo Province, project director Pamela Nyathi said the organisation was named after the biblical prophet who rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls a metaphor for rebuilding lives shattered by HIV.
“It started off as a call to the HIV issue that was very, very rampant at that time,” Nyathi said.
“We wanted to rebuild lives that had been affected by HIV.”
She recalled that stigma within church communities was a major barrier.
“Some thought it was a disease that affected people who were not Christian enough,” she said.
“That is why we started talking about it in the church community. But from there, we grew to minister to the communities around us.”
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The trust’s vision is “a compassionate Zimbabwe, free from HIV-related stigma and new infections,” while its mission is to empower communities through prevention, care and support.
Nyathi stressed that HIV cannot be addressed in isolation from poverty.
“Our approach recognises that HIV and poverty are closely related. They are interconnected,” she said.
“We, therefore, address not only HIV prevention and access to health services, but also the social and economic circumstances that increase vulnerability to HIV and make it difficult for affected families to achieve sustainable livelihoods.”
Nehemiah Trust runs several programmes for groups considered particularly at risk such as women in sex work, teenage mothers, young people and men.
Under its peer education programme, the organisation works with women in sex work, providing HIV prevention information, facilitating referrals to health and social services, and promoting safer practices.
Nyathi said the programme also tackles the stigma and judgement that often isolate these women.
“We put them in a space where they are able to talk about their experiences, talk about what they believe HIV is, and you find that there are a lot of myths that we are able to dispel when we do the peer education,” she said.
The Teen Moms Programme targets teenage mothers who face heightened social and economic vulnerability.
Many are forced out of their homes or lack means to support themselves, which can push them into transactional sex or risky relationships.
“We teach them parenting skills. We also introduce them to vocational training and, where funds permit, some of them opt to go back to school,” Nyathi said.
“This improves their livelihoods and ensures that they are protected from HIV.”
The Youth Development and Prevention Programme reaches learners in schools and colleges, addressing HIV, substance abuse, sexual health, healthy relationships and responsible decision-making.
Substance abuse, Nyathi noted, can compromise young people’s judgement and increase their HIV risk.
The trust also engages men, including clients of sex workers, in venues where they are likely to seek commercial sex, and its interventions now extend to mental health and non-communicable diseases. Depression or emotional distress, Nyathi said, can drive some men toward risky behaviour.
Youth programme officer Mthabisi Sibalwa said the organisation has created a safe environment at its Ithemba Centre, where young people can discuss issues without fear of punishment or judgement.
The centre operates Tuesday to Saturday, using sporting facilities to attract youth away from the streets.
“We use these sporting facilities to pull them from the streets so that when they come here, they can get entertained through sporting facilities,” Sibalwa said.
These activities are combined with discussions on sexual and reproductive health rights, drug and substance abuse, and other challenges.
Sibalwa identified a growing communication gap between parents and children as a key factor in youth vulnerability.
He said many parents are relocating for economic opportunities, leaving gaps in communication, while even those remaining often struggle to find time to engage their children.
“Most parents are no longer giving time to sit down with children to ask them how they are feeling,” he said.
As a result, young people increasingly turn to social media for information and guidance.
“If you do not get to sit down with them, there is another person, or let me say a machine, that is playing a part for you,” Sibalwa warned.
He urged parents to prioritise prevention and build relationships with their children.
“You would rather prevent the problem. You would rather be a friend to your child at the same time being a parent.”
The trust has also established a school programme using a converted bus equipped with computers and a library to support vulnerable children and young people.
Sibalwa said the facility provides remedial support for children facing academic challenges, while also offering a quiet space for community members to study and conduct research.
The centre runs children’s clubs where learning is integrated into recreational activities, imparting lessons on teamwork, moral values and ethics rather than mere entertainment.
Sibalwa said Nehemiah Trust works closely with NAC, sharing information on developments and challenges affecting communities.
The collaboration has brought a Sista2Sista representative to the centre every Thursday to engage young women on sexual and reproductive health.
The programme has attracted teenage mothers who are increasingly comfortable asking questions they might struggle to raise with their parents.
“Some questions are very hard to ask parents. Some parents do not provide a conducive environment to ask. So we are bridging that gap,” Sibalwa said.
Nehemiah Trust’s programmes are funded through support from PAOZ, Asset UK and UK Trust.
The organisation’s integrated approach aims to ensure that HIV prevention is accompanied by interventions that strengthen livelihoods, education, mental health, family communication and community resilience, a holistic model that recognises the fight against HIV cannot be won by health messages alone.
