The well-attended roundtable heard that the HIV and AIDS epidemic had been with us for decades now and yet we were still facing challenges in managing it.  As a result, we were constantly looking for ways to improve on currently available strategies while at the same time exploring new and hopefully better interventions to mitigate the effect of the epidemic in our workplaces, communities and families.

SABCOHA remains committed to supporting workplaces in ensuring that businesses remain sustainable despite the growing challenges the epidemic presents in the workplace. One way in which SABCOHA achieves its mission is through the sharing of lessons learned by individual members with others. In this way, other members are able to adopt, adapt and implement interventions without necessarily experiencing the challenges faced by the members who tested them.

At the session, KAEFER's managing director, George Wardrope, and HR manager, Wendall Naidoo, shared the lessons learned, challenges experienced and what they thought had contributed to the success of their programme. KAEFER also brought along some of its key partners to the session to demonstrate how appropriate partnerships are a key contributing factor to the success of workplace programmes.

Kaefer South Africa has a workplace HIV and AIDS policy which is the anchor of the KAEFER AIDS Relief Programme (KARP). The policy was negotiated with employees represented by their trade union. KAEFER has trained 21 peer educators who are responsible for implementing the information and awareness activities within KARP. They conduct weekly information sessions as part of the daily toolbox safety talks conducted throughout the company.  Condom distribution is an important part of the programme.

VCT has been conducted at all KARP sites at least twice since 2007, with a total of 281 employees accepting the test between March and August 2008. The company believes that the success of its programme is attributable to the strong commitment of management and employees in fighting the epidemic. Kaefer has 1 500 employees in South Africa.

Hugo Canham, the project manager at SABCOHA, said: "Kaefer also demonstrated the strength of partnering with international organisations such as GTZ, which provide technical assistance and support. Moreover, Kaefer South Africa is only a small part of the company, which has its headquarters in Germany. Kaefer South Africa has become the international flagship for HIV and AIDS programmes for Kaefer and many lessons learned in its South African operation are guiding the strategic vision of wellness worldwide." - SABCOHA

For the presentation on the Sphunga Healthlink Worker Intervention Programme, click here.