By: Bliss Ndapasowa

If you can’t cure it, deal with it!

The Durban University of Technology’s Student Counselling and Health Department, in collaboration with the Department of General Education Modules, hosted an HIV/AIDS workshop at Ritson Campus on Tuesday.

The initiative, coinciding with World Aids Day, is a workshop open to all DUT stakeholders.

The workshop mainly focused on ‘ethno stress’ as a way of dealing with problems related to HIV/AIDS.

The argument being beliefs and states of mind are mainly guarded by thoughts seeded by the superior during colonialism, the discussion mainly focused on establishing how they affect people individually and breaking these barriers.

Facilitators used various participative techniques including breathing regulation, use of metal rods to channel negative and positive energy and visual- aid realisation of personal potential.

DUT’s HIV/AIDS Centre Manager Thobile Zulu described the workshop as an eye-opening event that elaborated on how leadership starts from within.

“A lot of behavioural aspects have been explain through this platform. People with dangerous diseases, especially HIV, can have a positive impact on their own life,” she said.

She further mentioned that with financial implications put aside, the institution would like to take these programs to the society as they can help account for various problems the government is seeking solutions for, such as crime.

Mondli Zwane, Gandhi Development Trust trainer and attendee of the workshop, applauded the initiative as a concept that is relevant to him as a peer educator, as it deals with evoking self-esteem and innovation in one’s self.

The workshop is a five day program and that is currently running at Ritson campus’ conference room from 9:00hrs to 16:30hrs until Friday the 5th of this month.