EPISODE 19 - Farm workers and HIV

An alarming 35 to 40% of farm workers living in South Africa are infected with HIV.  Conditions prevalent on farms are conditions that contribute to a high rate of HIV infection. On farms workers are often forced, in the absence of alternatives, to live in crowded compounds far from their families and isolated from HIV/AIDS interventions.

This week Siyayinqoba Beat It! explores the myths amongst farm workers about HIV. The episode also exposes how female farm workers in exchange for food, clothing money and seasonal employment often have sex with the indunas or supervisors. Joining the support group is Antoinette Ngwenya who shares her experience of working with farm workers.

Our first story comes from Hoedspruit in Limpopo Province where we meet a group of farm workers and talk to them about STIs and VCT.  We speak to Christine Du Preez who runs an outreach programme aimed at providing treatment literacy to farm workers who, in the absence of accessible HIV interventions, have limited knowledge about HIV/AIDS. In the segment we also see how farm owners like Jaco Fivas can assist their employees in combating HIV by creating opportunities for confidential voluntary testing and counseling. Back in the studio we realise what an important role farm workers play in our economy and what Antoinette and others are doing to help them.

In Acornhok we speak to Rifa who disclosed her HIV status to her community and we get an in-depth look at how female farm workers are treated in Hoedspruit. We find out how women are forced, through economic hardship and an increase of seasonal as opposed to permanent employment, to have sex with indunas to secure limited seasonal jobs. Indunas can have up to 50 sexual partners at once substantially increasing the risk of HIV infection. These conditions explain the higher percentage of HIV positive women in farming communities.

In the final segment we meet Armstrong who is a farmworker living with HIV in Hoedspruit.  Armstrong tells us how, when he was feeling very ill, his employer advised him to test for HIV and assisted him to access VCT. Armstrong is now on ARVs, is healthy and productive. His story shows us that with the right support and education not only farm workers, but all of us, are able to live normal, healthy lives.  As a foreman, Armstrong explains the difficulties he has in getting co-workers to get tested for HIV because the majority of them are illiterate. Gender issues relating to the insert are raised in the studio and we learn about the various programmes Antoinette is involved in.

IT'S A FACT