From Zimbabwe to Southend: How my work in HIV prevention healed me

Rutendo Chitiga is a Health Promotion Coordinator at Brook, currently working on a HIV Prevention contract in Southend-on-Sea. In this blog, Ru explains why this work is so important to her having seen the devastating impact of HIV on her community while growing up in Zimbabwe.

My name is Rutendo (which means Faith), and I grew up in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe. I currently work on the Southend HIV Prevention contract, and recently I have been reflecting on how I came to work in HIV prevention.

My Master’s and Undergraduate degrees are in Environmental Studies and International Development, so my current work feels like quite a departure from that. But I’ve come to realise that my job feels like some sort of healing or resolution process in response to the climate I grew up in.

HIV/AIDS was rampant in Zimbabwe in the 1990s, and it led to so many deaths, orphans, and a huge cultural shift. At the time, I did not realise that Zimbabwe had an HIV prevalence of 25% and a high mortality rate. All I remember is my parents going to funerals every weekend.

Hearing that an uncle or aunt was ill one day and then being buried a week or so later was all very confusing. I am only realising now that it was traumatic time, not only for me but for the nation.

Statistics have shown that by 2002, life expectancy at birth in Zimbabwe had fallen to 37.9 years, down from 60 years in 1985 – 90, according to a World Health Report of 2004.

I vaguely remember one of the national communications campaigns that I was given to take home as a primary school child (not that I understood its meaning) with the tagline ‘AIDS….avoid casual sex’. This was played persistently on the radio and television, and thus repeated in the playground. I innocently blurted out this tagline in a room full of visitors who were quite horrified (bearing in mind that our family was very conservative). To heighten the embarrassment, I went on to ask, ‘Mum, what is casual sex?’

I knew that HIV/AIDS was a horrible illness but without the privilege of receiving any RSE (Relationships and Sex Education), I was really confused about the connection between the two.

A part of me has always wanted to express my sympathy and heal communities affected by HIV.

In my teens I studied in Swaziland and our school had a robust community services programme. In addition to visiting children orphaned by late-stage HIV, we also visited schools promoting condom use and safer practices. I was a shy 17-year-old, but I boldly stood in assemblies rapping about HIV prevention (a story for another day).

I moved to the UK in the late 90s to join family after my A levels. After travelling, working in London, and having a child, I reinvented myself. I completed a PGCE and decided I wanted to work in education, which is what led me to Brook. I was initially attracted to the organisation because they had many women in senior positions and a very flexible approach to working. A highlight for me has been working for an organisation that genuinely cares about making a difference in their communities and fighting for change, as well as the boundless opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Working at Brook and reaching over 300 professionals per year in Southend through our professionals training sessions including healthcare professionals, teachers, policy makers and heads of departments has given me the opportunity to convey accurate information about HIV and bust common myths that perpetuate stigma.

I am finally seeing the connection between my work and my journey.

Through my work I also get the opportunity to amplify the voices of minority groups and communities that have poorer health outcomes including Black and POC communities, migrants, refugees, people experiencing homelessness, and the LGBT+ community. Last year we attended over 100 community events and drop ins and tested over 100 people for HIV. We have also built strong partnerships with organisations working in Southend to ensure that ensuring that everyone has access to free, confidential healthcare. Through our clinic, our outreach team and 15 community sites across the borough of Southend on sea, we have distributed approximately 13,000 free condoms.

So, if you see me around or hear me speak and wonder why I am so passionate about my job, it is my way of paying tribute to the millions that lost their lives to late-stage HIV (referred to some as AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and empowering communities.