Support from religious leaders is important to the OneLove campaign, says the regional partners of the campaign.
Religious leaders and institutions have strong, long-term and non-superficial relationships with their communities and engender commitment and trust perhaps to a greater extent than political institutions, says Denise Namburete, director of Nweti, a health and development communication NGO in Mozambique.
Therefore, religious leaders play an important role in re-enforcing group norms but also in serving as catalysts for change, when these norms are against God’s values, she says.
Simon Sikwese, a director of Pakachere, a heath and development communication NGO in Malawi, says religious leaders must let people know the importance of “mutual faithfulness” in relation to HIV prevention.
“Religious institutions and leaders should focus on mutual faithfulness as a key to reducing HIV infection,” he says. “For Muslims and faiths that believe in polygamy, the focus is on faithfulness within the polygamous relationships.”
Consistent messages
Caroline Majonga, the director of Action, a health communication NGO in Zimbabwe says religious leaders should join forces with the OneLove campaign, enabling all the stakeholders who have an interest in reducing HIV infections in the region to have consistent messages.
“In Zimbabwe, the Onelove Campaign is supporting and encouraging faithfulness which is an issue that the church has always promoted,” she says.
She also notes that people who attend church services look up to their leaders as role models and they seek to live and act just like their leaders.
“Religious leaders are therefore more likely to listen to their leaders when they tell them that they should make healthier sexual choices,” she says.
Grace Sinyangwe, director of Kwatu, a health and development communication NGO in Zambia says the positive impact of religious leaders is not restricted to their congregations.
“Even those Zambians who do not openly practice religion are religious-minded because they are wary of the existence of God and are keen not to offend Him,” she says. This means that they are also inclined to listen to some messages from religious leaders and to act on them.
Write to us
Tell us what your church can do, or is doing, to support mutual faithfulness among couples. We can also provide you with information that will help you to link your church’s activities to the OneLove campaign.
