HealthBeat

HEALTHbeat is a radio-program that provides information for good health and well-being by covering all aspects of staying healthy, including issues of nutrition, exercise, mental health, addiction, parenting, managing chronic illnesses, alternative or traditional forms of medicine, and of course HIV and AIDS. The program looks at ways of getting healthy and staying well physically, mentally and spiritually – a difficulty for most Zimbabweans considering the current state of the nation. In this climate, Zimbabweans need to stay as healthy as possible, but also face an everyday struggle for survival. HEALTHbeat thus helps to explore, practical, more affordable and more accessible ways of maintaining one’s health in Zimbabwe.

WORLD AIDS DAY ESSAY CONTEST

The World AIDS Day Essay Contest is an idea that was conceived of by one of HAZ’s young volunteers, as a response to the World AIDS Campaign‘s call for young people to “Take the lead, Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise”.

The first installation of the HAZ WORLD AIDS DAY STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST (WADEC) was conducted from November 9th to November 26th, 2007. This project has served as a practical example of the HAZ ethos at work. Taking an idea brought forth by one Zimbabwean, HAZ facilitated the collaborative efforts of Zimbabweans worldwide (in Zimbabwe, Canada, the United Kingdom, as well as in the United States), and also brought in our international partners to deliver the concept to a global audience.

WADEC has turned out to be an astonishingly eye-opening experience for us at HAZ, as well as for our partners who participated in this initiative, and we believe that as people across the world read these essays submitted to this contest by young Zimbabweans, they will be equally moved as well.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

• Encourage and facilitate the involvement of young people in Zimbabwe, in the country’s HIV/AIDS campaign
• Provide an avenue for Zimbabwe’s young people, to share their views and perspectives on, as well as life experiences in dealing with HIV/AIDS, with the global audience.
• Offer support and guidance to young Zimbabweans as they deal with real-life HIV/AIDS related challenges and experiences.