30 Jan 2023

Okavango Junior Secondary School in Gumare was on Saturday crowned the winner of MTV Shuga competition in Maun.

The MTV Shuga competition is a concept used to derive behaviour change in adolescents and young people by engaging young people to come up with solutions on diverse issues that affect their lives.

Four schools, Okavango JSS, Makhubu JSS from Selebi Phikwe, Motsumi JSS from Letlhakane and Itekeng JSS in Ghanzi presented concepts on HIV, gender-based violence, peer pressure, alcohol and drug abuse in the form of Television shows and drama. 

Makhubu finished second, Itekeng third and Motsumi settled for the fourth position.

Outlining the role of National AIDS and Health Promotion Agency (NAHPA) in the Shuga programme, deputy coordinator Batlhalefi Leagajang stated that the competition provided a safe environment for young people to express themselves while having fun and learning at the same time.

Leagajang highlighted that it was the responsibility of the private sector, communities and individuals to fight HIV. 

He noted that the Shuga programme was a clear indication that government and stakeholder collaborations were vital in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Leagajang stated that peer education was imperative in that emerging trends on HIV indicated that new infections were prevalent on adolescent boys.

He highlighted that the Shuga programme was implemented by Makgabaneng and supported by UNICEF in four districts being Selebi Phikwe, Boteti, Okavango and Ghanzi.

He commended all the four schools for participating in the programme, adding that it was important to involve young people when addressing issues that affected them rather than sidelining them and crafting solutions that might not be suitable for them.

UNICEF deputy country representative, Alexandra Illmer stated that the Shuga programme was meant to leverage on entertainment by addressing challenges encountered by young people.

She highlighted that many adolescents and young people did not know where to report sexual abuse, which she said resulted in some cases going unreported.

Illmer indicated that programmes such as Shuga provided a platform for young people to address their peers in a language they understood better and also come up with solutions aimed towards giving a young person a voice.

“The programme has evolved over the years as children are able to share experiences and solutions and it allows peers to tap into their creativity,’’ she said. 

She congratulated the four teams for making it to the finals and thanked teachers for providing guidance.

BIHL public relations and communications manager, Ms Tebogo Keepetsoe stated that their partnership with the Shuga programe had been fruitful in that they saw many schools coming on board to compete.

She expressed hope that children would change their way of life after the airing of the programme on Btv, MTV and social media platforms. 

She said the participants of the competition were an inspiration to their peers as they applied themselves extensively to make an impact. ENDS