Developing an Adapted HIV/AIDS Training Programme for Church Leaders in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

The HIV/AIDS is a global epidemic which affects all people, regardless of their religion, race, age, ethnicity or geographic location. The church of Africa, which hosts the largest numbers of infected and affected people, is also challenged to be involved in the response against HIV/AIDS epidemic. Church leaders are experiencing difficulties in fulfilling their role in HIV/AIDS interventions of which they have not received training. The complexity of HIV/AIDS demands a training programme that does not simply deal with symptoms, but it must address the complexities behind and in front of the spread, and earnestly seek effective ways of controlling the spread, as well as various strategies of caring for the infected and those affected with HIV and AIDS. The purpose of this study was to develop an adapted HIV/AIDS training programme for church leaders in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used; quantitative and qualitative data were collected during the same phase of the research process. The population comprised of church leaders from Christian churches in the Limpopo province. A non-probability purposive sampling was used for qualitative approach, while quota sampling was used for quantitative approach. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data, while in-depth interviews were used to collect qualitative data in this study. Data analysis was done separately and the two sets of results were merged into an overall interpretation of the study that informed the development of an adapted HIV/AIDS training programme. The findings of the study revealed that church leaders were not trained on how they can be involved in the response against HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Limpopo province. The current training programme did not clarify church leaders’ role towards the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The curriculum development process structure by Meyer and Van Niekerk (2008), and elements outlined by Dickoff, James and Wiedenbach (1968), were adapted to develop the training programme. A developed training programme was then validated by HIV/AIDS trainers and experts in programme development. Relevant recommendations were made to encourage churches to work effectively in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Limpopo Province.