Recognising the importance of regular testing, Waterford now plans to have voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) available on campus for a day every term.

Swaziland has the highest prevalence of HIV infection in the world and therefore Waterford is in a strong position to educate, de-stigmatise and offer support to its community in relation to HIV and Aids. The Colleges HIV and Aids awareness week was organised by staff and students at the college. Our community service programme aims to intervene on a grassroots level,” explains Debbie Nodder, Waterford’s Community Serivce Coordinator. “With the scale of the pandemic so immense, our role is not to inform government policy or effect macroeconomic changes, but to impact in a local and tangible way on people whose lives have been devastated by Aids and HIV.”