About 26 peer educators and vocal teachers from six high schools in the Quthing district will attend a one-day camp meeting under the Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS Programme of Anti-Drug Abuse Association Lesotho (ADAAL) on February 03.

According to ADAAL's chairperson Mrs Mphonyane Mofokeng, the purpose of the camp meeting is to find progress made by the peer educators and vocal teachers in training the youth on the dangers and effects of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS.

She said the meeting will also discuss challenges encountered by the above mentioned groups on their work of enlightening the youth on the consequences of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS, while seeking ways of overcoming them.

Mrs. Mofokeng said the Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS Programme targets teenagers between the age of 12-17, which is a group highly vulnerable to drugs, hence why the association is training them.

Expected outcomes include improved HIV preventive behavior among the youth and increased awareness and knowledge about drug abuse and HIV preventive practices.

She further mentioned that the camp meeting will be preceded by Impact Assessment Campaign to be held in the three districts of Quthing, Mohales'hoek and Mafeteng, where the programme operates.

The Impact Assessment Campaign is aimed at finding the impact of the programme for the past three years since it started. Both the campaign and the camp meetings will also be conducted in the other two districts respectively.

The Programme operates in 19 High Schools of the said districts and it will be extended to other districts before the end of the year.

Source: LENA