By Brenna Matendere
A follow-up investigation has revealed that the National AIDS Council (NAC) has successfully contained the risk of new HIV infections among young and adolescent girls in Hurungwe District during the 2025 tobacco selling season.
Earlier in the year, health officials and community leaders had raised concern that the annual tobacco marketing period—often associated with increased disposable income among farmers—could fuel risky sexual behaviour.
Traditionally, some young girls were drawn into relationships with older tobacco farmers, exposing them to unprotected sex, early marriages, teenage pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.
In March, Hurungwe District AIDS Coordinator Admire Takawira warned that the tobacco rush created a high-risk environment for adolescent girls.
“Hurungwe is widely known for tobacco farming. During the selling season, the availability of money makes young girls particularly vulnerable, as older men lure them into sexual relationships, often without protection,” he said at the time.
However, a follow-up assessment conducted in December 2025 shows that NAC’s Sista 2 Sista programme significantly reduced these risks.
The programme focuses on empowering adolescent girls with sexual and reproductive health education, particularly in communities affected by parental neglect and peer pressure.
It also covers HIV prevention, family planning, non-communicable diseases, drug and substance abuse, and life-skills development.
Under the initiative, trained mentors work with small groups of about 25 girls, providing structured sessions before and during the tobacco selling season.
Charity Choruwa, a Sista 2 Sista mentor from Vhareta Village, Ward 24, Chiroti, said the programme helped contain intergenerational relationships during the 2025 season.
“This year, we recorded no cases of girls cohabiting with tobacco farmers during the selling season. Our sessions prepared them in advance, and the risky behaviour that used to occur during this period was effectively contained,” she said.
Choruwa added that the programme helped break the cycle where financial temptation often outweighed personal safety.
“Many girls used to prioritise money over their wellbeing. This year, that trend was broken through education and mentorship,” she said.
Beneficiaries of the programme echoed similar sentiments. May Nyamayario, one of the participants, said the sessions helped her resist pressure during the tobacco rush.
“By the time the selling season started, we were already prepared to handle temptations that could lead to HIV infections. We thank NAC for this programme,” she said.
Another participant, Rosemary Makore, noted a decline in teenage marriages during the same period, while Meriline Paguta highlighted reductions in gender-based violence and economic exploitation.
“We meet twice a week to learn how to avoid these challenges. The programme is helping girls protect themselves and make better decisions,” Paguta said.
According to 2024 statistics, Hurungwe District recorded 4,289 STI cases, with 62 primary school girls married and 79 pregnant, while among secondary school girls, 215 were married and 170 fell pregnant. The district has an HIV incidence rate of 0.06 percent, with 3,427 people living with HIV.
These figures underscore the risks faced by young girls and the importance of sustained interventions.
The success of the Sista 2 Sista programme during the 2025 tobacco season highlights NAC’s growing impact in reducing HIV vulnerability among adolescents in high-risk communities.
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