For the next few weeks, the eyes of the world will be on South Africa as it hosts the 2010 FIFA World Cup. But what those millions of soccer fans watching probably won’t see are the struggles that South Africa’s residents are enduring. One of the biggest problems is the spread of the virus that causes AIDS. According to this New York Times article, 5.7 million people are infected with that virus — and this is in a country with a total population around 50 million. The hardest hit areas are the rural villages where education isn’t as widespread, meaning much more misinformation than information exists. Sarah Kate Noftsinger, 29, of Richmond, Va., is trying to do something to change that.
The former professional soccer player and current director of sports and leadership for Triad Trust started a youth soccer league 15 months ago in the Nkomazi district of Mpumalanga Province, a league now running in five villages. There are both under-14 and under-17 divisions, with 2,500 boys playing on 160 teams. Triad Trust is a charity based in Boston that aims to reduce the transmission of HIV, focusing on communities hit hardest by HIV/AIDS. With medical workers in the Nkomazi district estimating that nearly two-thirds of people ages 18-34 carry the HIV virus, education is crucial to try and break the cycle.
As noted in the article, “In this culture, parents seldom talk to their children about sex, medical workers said. Many are afraid to be tested for HIV, fearing that they might get their fingers pricked one day and die the next. Denial can be more comforting than the stress of knowing.” In addition, wild rumors exist about cures for HIV, and the area’s poverty can force people to trade sexual favors for money to buy something as necessary as food.
Therefore, a big part of the league is providing education, about HIV as well as other important issues, such as domestic violence and self-confidence. The league’s goal is that, every three months, each player will be tested for HIV. It’s an uphill battle, but one that must be waged for change to happen.
Photo by Philipp Hilpert via Flickr.