The Directors of City, Municipal and District councils have been urged to consider assigning teachers living with HIV/AIDS duties like other teachers instead of discriminating them.
President of Tanzania Teacher’s Union (TTU), Mr Gratian Mukoba
The president of Tanzania Teacher’s Union (TTU), Mr Gratian Mukoba, issued the directive in Morogoro yesterday when opening a three-day workshop on strengthening of Tanzania HIV Positive Teachers Initiative (TAPOTI).
He said that the fact that some teachers are living with HIV/AIDS does not mean they should not be given jobs. This is in contravention of the laws of the country.
“They have the same right as others. Why omit them when it comes to supervising examinations and other duties as if they are no longer fit to work. We need to eradicate stigma and discrimination in workplaces. People living with HIV/AIDS can still serve the nation,” he noted.
Mr Mukoba further noted that HIV/AIDS was one of the problems that have attracted the attention of the union, hence TTU has developed a policy known as the Tanzania teachers’ Union policy for combating HIV/AIDS in schools and colleges.
Expounding further he said that since 2001 TTU has allocated one per cent of its income equivalent to 240m/- every year in addressing the problems related to HIV/AIDS to its members, adding the amount is used in providing education and services to members.
The workshop, which is organised by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural organisation (Unesco) aimed at equipping the TAPOTI secretariat and cluster leaders with knowledge and practical skills on designing and implementing effective HIV/AIDS interventions.
More than 70 people from 30 districts in Tanzania Mainland are participating in the workshop which includes TAPOTI members across the country. Experts from the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MOEVT) and Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) are expected to present and disseminate key policy guidelines related to HIV/AIDS.
The TAPOTI General Secretary, Ms Salama Kionywaki, said that teachers living with HIV/AIDS have been wrongly judged as if they have lost the ability to work efficiently.
“Most teachers living with HIV/AIDS are not aware of their rights thus they have been treated as if they have committed a crime. Living with HIV/AIDS does not mean that you are going to die the next day,” she elaborated.
Ms Kionywaki said that it was important for the HIV/AIDS Prevention Act of 2008 to state clearly the exact amount of money to be given for care and support for teachers living with HIV/AIDS. At the moment these figures vary.
By HILDA MHAGAMA, Tanzania Daily News
