JOBLESS YOUTHS INCREASE THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS

Dear Editor,

SOME countries have continued supporting Zambia by the supply of ARVs and condoms in hospitals. Yes this is a good move and I am not against it as a citizen living in a country that needs this kind of aid.

You may be aware that an idle mind is the workshop of the devil or maybe I try to explain this in a more detailed way. When someone says an idle mind is the work shop of the devil, they simply mean that a person who has nothing to keep him or her busy, finds themselves doing wrong things. I interact with peers who drink and smoke and when I try to find out reasons behind their drinking, I am told they drink to forget problems being faced, others drink because they are bored. Drinking and smoking is just an example. Lets talk about sexual activities that spread HIV/AIDS at a high rate. If a youth is working from 06:00 to 18:00 hours, it is very difficult to find themselves sleeping around. I actually think the donors have offered con- doms and ARVs for too long and its time a new strategy is found to reduce the spread of HIV/ AIDS. The strategy is to fund the Zambian government to provide more jobs for the youth who spend most of their time in streets, clubs and over areas that easily expose them to sexual activities and drug abuse.

The Zambian government is willing to provide jobs for all the jobless youths, the problem is where to get monetary support. The offering of condoms as part of the aid to Zambia I think it only encourages the spread of AIDS. If these NGOs and the outside countries are willing to help Zambia fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, they should fight it in such a way that even the economy of the country is boosted. I am not saying donating condoms and ARVs is wrong, all I am saying is donating of monetary support to provide jobs for young people would be the best way to fight the spread of AIDS.

To conclude my statement, donors should donate funds to the Zambian government as the best way to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS. When someone is working, they will not find time to involve themselves in sexual activities. The funds should be used on job creation for the youths and other people in the streets.

- Erick Chiyota, Nkrumah University Kabwe