ACTULIDAD DE PINCEL Y CHOCOLATE

Life skills are abilities to engage in adaptive and positive behaviour that enables individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life (Ministry of Education, Sport & Culture 2001:4). A prerequisite for the acquisition of these life skills is the development of critical and creative thought processes that underlie decision-making and problem-solving capabilities. Also essential is the ability to communicate (interpersonal interaction and managing relationships), self- awareness (strengths, weaknesses and the ability to be empathetic), assertiveness (positive self esteem, self confidence and dignity), negotiation (to achieve win-win outcomes) and coping with anger, conflict and stress (WHO 1993 in Ministry of Education, Sport & Culture 2001:4).

Creative thought processes confer the ability to synthesize while critical thought processes confer the ability to analyse issues in making informed decisions and in

solving problems. Communication is a two-way process. A dialogue is established that involves a person’s ability to hear, to process information and to respond in a manner that is socially and culturally acceptable. If one knows and practises the norms, beliefs and values of a society that allows free and independent expression of views, one will be able to communicate in an acceptable manner. Self-awareness is the ability to have knowledge of oneself. The knowledge required enables one to recognize one’s individual limitations in terms of strengths and weaknesses. The importance of such knowledge is that through it one is aware of the capabilities or competencies that one has, and of those one needs to acquire. Assertiveness is the ability to confidently express one’s position without being aggressive. A positive self- concept and empowerment enable one to be assertive. Negotiation is an art that allows people, without compromising their dignity and self-worth and without being dogmatic, to give or take so as to achieve a win-win outcome. Emotional intelligence is crucial in coping with emotions, stress and trying situations.

The development of positive attitudes towards sexuality and the ability to make informed decisions about sexual abstinence within the context of sexual and reproductive health are considered important for survival in an environment infested by HIV and AIDS, and fall within the realm of life skills. To assess behavioural change it is necessary to evaluate the student’s knowledge of the HIV and AIDS

disease processes and in particular of how the virus is transmitted from one person to another.

Preventive strategies and specifically the need for voluntary counseling and testing that reveals one’s HIV status, treatment and care, grief associated with the process of dying, culture and supportive measures are important for exercising sexual and reproductive health rights. The spread of HIV is fuelled by the cycle of poverty, underdevelopment and illiteracy, which cause more deaths and increase the number of orphans. Behavioural change is crucial if vulnerability is to be reduced (Zimbabwe Human Development Report 2003:3). Gachuhi (1999:5) similarly states that by teaching life skills one aims to foster positive behaviours across a range of psychosocial skills and to change behaviours learned early, which may translate into inappropriate behaviour at a later stage of life.

Kelly (2001:40-41) argues that early research dealt with subjects who had been infected with HIV before much was known about it, so that there was little possibility of education having had any protective influence. Likewise, the risk of HIV infection was found to increase with the level of formal education, yet there was no evidence that the education dealt with sexual and reproductive health, life skills or HIV infection. In its Strategy for HIV and AIDS prevention, UNESCO (2002:7) stated that ignorance was a major reason for lack of control of the HIV epidemic. It advised that preventive education must address mentalities and the culture within which they were embedded in order to generate the attitudes, provide the skills, and sustain the motivation necessary for changing behaviour to reduce risk and vulnerability. Consequently, it was suggested that curricula be renewed so as to centralize the issues of HIV prevention and control, and to include the topics of reproductive health and sexual education, HIV and AIDS in the community, psychosocial life skills and human rights, relationships and responsibilities. It was also argued that health education remained the only practical long-term anti-AIDS strategy that Africa can afford (Cecily Fund 2002:7). Health education and health promotion have been expanded to address not only individuals and families but also institutional and social conditions that hinder or help individuals to attain optimum health (Patsika 2002:8). Because orphanhood is fuelled by HIV and AIDS, one of the goals of Education for

HIV and AIDS Prevention, (A strategic Approach 2002:18), focusing on children, is

distinct measurable learning outcomes in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills are achieved by all. It would appear that because the prevalence of HIV and AIDS impacts negatively on support systems, both formal (schools and hospitals) and informal (family and communities), flexibility in education will assist orphans and vulnerable children to acquire the knowledge, attitudes and skills they require for production and survival and also the life skills discussed above. Little or no research has been undertaken in schools, and lack of hard evidence about what is happening there has given rise to broad generalizations about the impact of the HIV and AIDS epidemic on the education sector although its most significant consequence has been on the extent of orphanhood. As a result, without proper needs assessments, it is not possible to gauge the extent of orphan deprivation in absolute terms and in relation to other groups of children (Bennell et al 2002:1,54).