HCT gazebos set up for the Health Academy′s Outreach Campaigns

Firstly, I would like to thank Marcus, Jabu Zulu, Busi Madondo, Gugu Mofokeng, and the rest of the staff at the WhizzKids United Health Academy for all their guidance and support. When I think back to the time when I first joined the team, I came empty-handed, but today my hands are full of tasks, and not only that, but my mind is now full of the knowledge and skills that I have gained since joining the team.

When I first joined I was trained on the 3-session Life Skills Manual and would like to say 'big up' and thank you to Aled and Michael, you guys rock!

I have also been able to attend an HIV Counselling and Testing course at AIDS Training, Information, and Counselling Centre (ATICC). I am now a trained Counsellor, and have been working with other Health Academy staff on our HCT Outreach Campaigns, and this is the reason I joined WhizzKids United, to help those who otherwise would not be able to receive these services we provide.

Lastly, but by no means least, I took a good long drive to Jozini with Marcus last weekend, where we spent the night at the Ophondweni Youth Development Centre, we were due to run a Youth Friendly Service workshop there the next day, only to find out that the workshop had to be postponed, so we were able to spend the day chilling out by the lake, this was the first time I had ever seen such a big river and it was amazing. The following day we went to Ophondweni again and were able to start the workshop with the Community HealthCare Workers. I was able to gain a huge amount of information, we also ran an adolescence programme where, again, I was able to learn a lot of things about the issues and challenges we all go through when we reach that stafe of life.

It was quite an expereince going there, I gained a lot that I will be able to share with the kids at the Health Academy.