Ethiopian Review

Addis Abeba — TOTAL-Ethiopia and DKT-Ethiopia on Saturday launched a first of its kind, sixty-day “Kerosene and Condom” pilot project to raise awareness of condom and correct usage amongst low income vulnerable women of housemaids through provision of condoms to them when they purchase kerosene.

Traditionally, these particular vulnerable groups to HIV/AIDS are difficult to target due to their economic marginalization.

Therefore, mainstream social marketing activities have not reached them on a consistent basis.

Consequently, giving special attention to this subgroup is of paramount importance for stakeholders committed to socially responsible activities that benefit the community and public at large, said Ken Divelbess, DKT Coordinator at the event held at Sidist Kilo TOTAL service station.

The project has the potential to reach an as- yet unserved group in creating greater awareness of HIV/AIDS and safe sex practices among house maids.

More over, it will build greater awareness of these issues among staff at the participating TOTAL retail station. Both outcomes will help lower HIV/AIDS infection and prevalence rate among general public, Ken added.

According to Bernard Lacaze, Managing Director of TOTAL- Ethiopia, TOTAL has Sustainable Development Responsible Program (SDRP), wich it is implimenting this time in collaboration with DKT- Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Business Coalition against HIV/AIDS (EBCA), Rapid Result Institute and the World Bank Institute (WBI).

The oil company has come up with an innovative way to create awareness on HIV/AIDS, and distribute educational materials and condoms to domestic workers., the Managing Director added.

It has specially set up a system by which TOTAL staff members distribute condoms and educational materials to individuals come fuel stattions to buy kerosene.

The project will focus on domestic workers 90 percent of whom are females aged between 15 and 35, who would purchase kerosene from a TOTAL retail network station.

- By Fikremariam Tesfaye | Daily Monitor