Zamcom Institute

The HIV/AIDS & Gender Department - Headed by Mr. Mwiika Malindima.

The HIV and AIDS and Gender department is mandated to carry out issue based training programmes in the areas of HIV and AIDS and Gender for the media and communication industry. The department offers HIV and AIDS consultancy through activities such as HIV and AIDS workplace policies for the media.

The HIV/AIDS Media Programme fosters partnership with other organizations working in the area of HIV and AIDS and Gender for the media. Starting in 2010 the department will undertake media training and consultancy in environment and climate change. All these training programmes respond to gaps and problems presented by HIV and AIDS and Gender as well as the environment to society and to the media industry.

The department is also mandated to produce programmes on HIV and AIDS and Gender for both radio and Television.

The department has fostered the Hearts and Minds campaign, an international media campaign that involves training, advocacy, research and media monitoring and community media outreach.

Projects and Partners

Hearts Minds Campaign

The latest international HIV/AIDS Media campaign of the partnership involving the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)-Botswana Chapter, the Zambia Institute of Mass Communication Education Trust (ZAMCOM), and the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications.  The partnership is supported by the HIV/AIDS Twinning Center of the American International Health Alliance (AIHA), funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Botswana. The partnership supports efforts to raise the quality of HIV and AIDS reporting in Africa."

Training Opportunities for community media

• Community Correspondents Corps Innovative HIV/AIDS Radio Journalism

(i) Luangwa House – Chipata, Eastern Province Zambia  - January 2009

(ii) Lothian House – Kitwe, Copperbelt Province Zambia – October 2009

(iii) Livingstone – Southern / Western Province Zambia – July 2010

• Media Marketing and Sustainability

(i) Print Media Advertising Training – March 2010

(ii) Editorial leadership, print media design and marketing March 2010

Training and Outreach opportunities in Botswana

• Media Relations Training for HIV and AIDS Service NGOS,  November, 2009, Gaborone

• Mafoko Malthong Community Dialogues on HIV and AIDS,  December, 2009 Kasane

• Newspaper In Education (NIE) Project Presentation March 2010, Gaborone

• Freedom of Information Public Discussions March 2010, Gaborone

• HIV/AIDS and Health Comprehensive Media Monitoring February – March 2010

Highway Africa Hearts Minds Presentation

• The campaign took part in the annual Highway Africa Conference hosted by Rhodes University in Grahamestown, Southern Africa, September 2009.

• The campaign will take the findings of the media survey in Botswana to Highway Africa in June 2010 and launch its highly interactive website, www.heartsminds.info

Resources and Materials

• HIV/AIDS Media Reporting Toolkit

• Inspiring HIV and AIDS Reporting In Africa Book, a compilation of stories from Botswana.

• Gender and Media Training Manual

Partners

American International Health Alliance (AIHA)

AIHA's partnerships and projects harness the knowledge and expertise of the United States healthcare sector in a coordinated response to public health challenges in developing and transitioning nations around the globe.

The organization  provides peer-to-peer exchanges of information, skills-based training, broad-based programmatic management, and technical assistance that helps partner institutions and communities make the best use of limited financial, material, and human resources.

ZAMCOM has been receiving support from AIHA through the Twinning Centre against AIDS in partnerships involving ZAMCOM, MISA Botswana and the University of Kentucky.