Couple transforming other people’s lives through programme

When he joined the SAfAIDS Men as Partners/Women as Partners (MasP/WasP) training, I started wondering what they were learning. His behaviour was changing gradually and this left me bewildered, until one day when he came home from the training and invited me to join. “We have been assigned to bring our wives tomorrow for the training, you can come if you want to join, ’’ he said. With astonishment, l did not hesitate, but I was pleased to accompany him. My intention was to see how my husband was being managed to be this renewed person.

I was also trained as a WasP facilitator as I was pleased with the sudden change of my husband’s behaviour. I am now a WasP facilitator aimed at ending gender-based violence (GBV), child marriages, reducing HIV infections and other negative and harmful cultural practises that perpetuate abuse of women and girls in our community called Dzingainhamo. With the assistance from my husband as a MasP, we are helping others to live peacefully as families. I am happy to say my brother in-law has also transformed from abuse through our engagements with them and his wife. We approached them as a couple and had a long and fruitful conversation, which completely helped my brother in-law. Because his own brother was giving him advice from his own experience, it really made sense to him. His wife is so grateful to the SAfAIDS programme such that she is now part of my WasP club members.

“It is my duty as a WasP facilitator to bring light and hope to vulnerable women and girls in Dzingainhamo community. Working together with my husband I believe nothing is impossible!”