The most important means of combating a disease that has no cure is to prevent new transmissions. In a country where 20-30% of the adult population is infected with HIV or AIDS, it is extremely important that people, particularly the youth, avoid risky behaviour. While the ABC message of prevention (Abstain, Be faithful, and use Condoms) has been widely disseminated, this impersonal message has not been shown to have a significant effect on behaviour. Flying Mission is committed to more than distributing information; FMC desires to place role models in the lives of youth and adults to work with them as they learn to put good values into practice. Our initiatives include:

• Lifeskills Youth Programmes
• Discipleship Training
• Bible Distribution

Lifeskills Youth Programmes

The Lifeskills programme was launched in 2006 with the goal of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the youth of Botswana. This programme uses workshops and after-school clubs to enable youth (ages 15 – 29) to become good decision makers based on Christian values. Two different courses from Campus Crusade for Christ have been adapted for use in this programme: Life at the Crossroads (LACR) and Better Choices.  

LACR is a series of 30 lessons designed to be taught weekly over the course of a school year. Each of these lessons are highly interactive, emphasizing building healthy relationships and living with character. While the primary objective is to prevent the spread of HIV by enabling the students to make good choices, the effects of this programme are more comprehensive. LACR engages students in many areas such as handling peer pressure, healthy anger management, and discovering values to live by. Once the year long programme is finished, many participants go on to join local Abstinence Clubs which are places of support for the commitments made in class.

Better Choices is a workshop based programme that has two parts. The first part is a two day youth workshop with practical and biblically based lessons covering issues such as values, relationships, sex, peer pressure and HIV and AIDS. Upon completion of the workshop, participants are able to sign a commitment card showing their intention to be abstinent until marriage. The second part is a training course for students from LACR who exhibit leadership ability. This training workshop equips these gifted students with the skills and information needed to continue on as LACR peer educators.

Abstinence Clubs are also formed in these communities to support youth, particularly those out of school, in making healthy choices. These club are important because they encourage youth to help one another in standing up to peer pressure. So far these three programmes have been implemented in Gaborone and eight different villages within the Kweneng East District of Botswana.

 

Discipleship Training

Flying Mission desires to see strong Christian leaders whose faith transforms all aspects of their lives with resultant impact on families, churches and the country. As churches often do not have the resources to nurture and equip believers, FM partners with them to disciple and train leaders who will then be able to pass this training on to others. To do this FM has adapted and contextualised SEAN’s “Life to the Full” and "Pure Gold" discipleship courses and published them in English and Setswana. To date over thirty leaders in more than ten churches have been equipped through this training and are currently using this course to equip over 100 others in their congregations.

 

Bible Distribution

On Boxing Day (the day after Christmas), for more than 20 years Flying Mission has a tradition of distributing bibles to all patients in Princess Marina Hospital. All available Flying Mission personnel meet at the hospital, walking through the hospital wards singing Christian carols and visiting patients. Last year over 400 Bibles were handed out.