Deaf Health Counselor Program

Goals

This program aims to provide an effective counselling service to those who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in the Deaf community. It also offers intervention services through group work. It makes HIV/AIDS counselling accessible and provides community adherence support in Sign Language. Awareness is raised around HIV/AIDS to the Deaf Community at large and supportive services are provided to those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Assistance and follow-up in terms of ARV medication to HIV positive Deaf persons are also provided. Prevention programs in terms of the spread of the disease through condom distribution and youth camps are implemented. The HIV/AIDS program is funded by the Department of Health.

Initiatives

Monthly condom distribution at different venues
Pre-testing and Post-testing HIV/AIDS counselling
Outreach services to the rural and semi-rural areas
HIV/AIDS workshops in the Deaf Schools
Annual HIV/AIDS youth camp with all the senior learners in the school

Qualified Deaf HIV Counselling Team

The team (top right picture), consists of:

Carmen Kuscus
Charlotte Siljeur
Ntombosindiso (Ntombi) Majibana
Michelle Lombard (Freelance Sign Language Interpreter)
Amanda Ismail
Eric Mahamba
Shamiela du Plooy

Other programs

Diabetes Program
Substance Abuse Counselling Program

Past Awareness Campaigns

In the past DCCT has run a number of awareness campaigns relating to areas of well-being that need to be addressed within the Deaf community. In the past, the following campaigns were run:

Prostate Cancer
Circumcision
Prenatal and Antenatal Care
Child Immunisation
Sterilisation
Diabetes