An international development charity, Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), Sunday kicked off a five-day leadership training course for representatives of Anti-AIDS clubs in schools.

The residential training taking place at Alliance High School in Nyacyonga, Gasabo district, attracted 240 participants from four districts of Nyaruguru, Nyamagabe, Ngoma and Nyagatare. 

Each school is represented by a teacher who supervises the activities of each club and the two students who will head the Anti-AIDS clubs next year.

According to the National Programme Coordinator, Jean Claude Nshimiyimana, the training is aimed at equipping the club leaders with the relevant skills to enable them run the clubs independently when the project’s lifespan expires at the end next year.

He added that it is for this reason that the participants are being trained on leadership skills and how to start and manage an income generating project in order to gain financial independence.

"The club leaders need vital report writing skills and also general knowledge on HIV/AIDS,” he pointed out.

According to the organisers, the morning sessions are, among others, on knowledge, facilitation and methodology dealing with topics such as HIV transmission and prevention; puberty and reproductive health; self esteem; discrimination and human rights; peer education and counseling; Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) and positive living plus Gender Risk and Culture.

On the other hand, the evening sessions will be tackling practical aspects such as volunteering; leadership and problem solving; income generation; reporting; monitoring and evaluation; community networks and activity planning.

The clubs are supported by VSO at district level through a three year project running from 2006 to 2009. The project is known as Prevention of HIV and AIDS through Rwandan Education (PHARE) and is funded by the Irish Aid and VSO.

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