“Inspiring” comes to mind when reflecting back on the Kicking AIDS Out! workshops SCORE conducted at the end of January 2009. The entire staff of SCORE came together in Cape Town for a “family” reunion, and during the week the programming staff from South Africa, Zambia and Namibia were involved in Kicking AIDS Out! Leader Level 1 trainings. Two workshops were conducted by trained staff members, Phillip Kapena, Noah Mabutwe, Sara Marshall, Raymond Vries and Mandla Neku. There were 11 staff members and 25 volunteers from SCORE communities in South Africa participating in the workshops. George Nange from the Network secretariat was a guest facilitator for both workshops, conducting sessions on sexuality, and we had visitors from the Network (Linda and Sverre secretariat), Right To Play and South Africa Sport & Recreation, who was funding the trainings.

The participants enjoyed the training, and it was beneficial to have our international staff together with our local sport leaders. There were many animated discussions surrounding HIV topics and various games shared between the participants. The sport leaders and South Africa staff members are now busy organising local festivals and Peer Leader trainings for other volunteers in their communities in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and Northwest Provinces in South Africa. These activities will further expand the Network’s reach throughout the SCORE communities in South Africa, Zambia and Namibia over the next year.