OneLove Campaign - Zimbabwe

The OneLove campaign as a national and regional campaign seeks to: promote positive behaviour without blaming people for engaging in risky sexual behaviours; challenge existing gender stereotypes; and promote happy, fulfilling relationships with one partner. OneLove's message is that it is possible to have one loving, happy relationship that is fulfilling and satisfying both emotionally and sexually, regardless of previous societal attitudes to the contrary.

The tagline for Zimbabwe is "Protect-Respect-Connect", which may be translated into Shona as "dziviriranai-remekedzanai-ndzwananai" or into Ndebele as "vikelanani-hloniphanani-bambanani". According to the organisers, this tagline captures for the audience some of the key components that help create and sustain happy, healthy relationships.

The OneLove campaigns across the region share the following core messages:

• Men and women have a right to a safe, fulfilling relationship;
• Having multiple sexual relationships puts you and your partners at higher risk of HIV infection;
• Reducing multiple and concurrent partnerships (MCP) protects you and your loved ones from HIV/AIDS.

The key messages for the OneLove campaign in Zimbabwe are:

• Good communication is essential for safe and fulfilling relationships for both men and women, especially around sexual dissatisfaction;
• Women need to be empowered to correct cultural gender disparities and a tradition of male domination;
• Men and women must respect each other, accepting and understanding that they share equal rights;
• To address existing socialisation and peer pressure effectively, society as a whole must support and encourage safe relationships;
• Multiple partnerships put one at higher risk of HIV through "sexual networks".

The campaign launched with 2 booklets, produced by implementing partners United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Southern Africa AIDS Dissemination Service (SAFAIDS), which are being distributed across the country. Both booklets are available in English, Shona, and Ndebele.

1. Click here to access the booklet titled A Loving Relationship - Finding It and Keeping It
2. Click here to access the booklet titled Loving with Respect - A Guide for Men Who Care.

In November 2009, as part of the strategy to decentralise the campaign from national to district level, Action IEHDC together with NAC and ZICHIRE-BC launched the OneLove Campaign at community level in Murewa District in Mashonaland East Province.

In February 2010, OneLove Zimbabwe held a high profile event to launch the Zimbabwean film "Big House Small House" which was produced by Action IEHDC, in partnership with Theory X, a local production company, and Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication. The 30 minute drama forms part of a regional series called “Love Stories in a Time of HIV and AIDS" which comprises of films from 10 countries in the Southern Africa region implementing the OneLove Campaign. The drama series started broadcasting on the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) in April 2010.

In April and May 2010, Action IEHDC distributed the "You Haven’t Met Joe" booklet at border towns, and in mining and farming areas in Zimbabwe. The booklet was produced as part of the regional OneLove Campaign and is being distributed across Southern Africa.

Action IEHDC is currently producing a radio drama entitled Yellow Dust. The drama is set in a mining area called Yellow Dust and centres around a couple who own a mining company. Everyone in the mining area, including the couple's teenage child, is connected to the couple's sexual network through MCPs. The drama looks at issues of intergenerational sex, transactional sex, unprotected sex, sexual dissatisfaction within relationships, deceit and deceptions, and how all this is contributing the spread of HIV.

Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service(SAFAIDS) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have produced OneLove print and electronic materials which complement the campaign. A OneLove Campaign MCP booklet will be printed and distributed in the second half of 2010.

HIV/AIDS

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is the region that is most affected by HIV globally. In 2005, 1.6 million, or 37%, of the 4.3 million new HIV infections occurred in the SADC region. The HIV prevalence rate in this region is estimated at almost 11%, compared with the global average of just 1%.