Kpeve, (V/R), Dec. 8, GNA-Mama Manle II, President of the Zendo Queenmothers Council has urged members of the Council to be passionate about issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS and act decisively to stem its devastating effect on women and their communities in general. She said the pain, which the disease has caused in many homes and communities and the further havoc it was capable of wreaking on society should not be taken lightly.

Mama Manle, who is also Mamaga of the Klikor gave the exhortation at a day's workshop on HIV/AIDS organized by the Council for its members at Kpeve in the South-Dayi district. She said the workshop was meant to jolt the Council members into action against the disease because of its high incidence in their various communities.

The communities namely Klikor, Kpeve, Klefe, Tsibu and Tsorxor collectively called Zendo trace themselves to one of the several groups of Ewes during their exodus from Nortsie in present day Togo in about the 16th century.

Mama Manle urged Council members to organize regular forums on HIV/AIDS in their various communities with the help of experts so as to stem behaviour and activities, which tended to compromise the nationwide fight against the disease.

She urged the Council members to show good examples in morality and decency in dressing and conduct, encourage mothers to cherish such values and get their daughters to adopt them as true reflections of womanhood and defence against the disease. Mama Manle said self-control and self-respect among women and their collective action to protect their reproductive rights were also central to avoiding the disease.

Mr. Livinus Acquah-Harrison, of the New Seed International, a non-governmental organization on HIV/AIDS said reports indicated that HIV/AIDS has become the bedfellows of Zendo communities, which called for drastic measures to arrest the situation. He said unfortunately public comments about the disease in those communities did not show that any seriousness was attached to measures aimed at preventing the disease.

Mr. Acquah-Harrison said that attitude had to change otherwise young people between 16-20 years now in those communities would die by 2015. He said women and girls were more vulnerable to the disease than men because their make up exposed them to contracting the disease easily while they do not pass it on easily to their sexual partners Mr. Acquah-Harrison called on community leaders and family members to encourage their members who are positive to the virus to own up and seek help in order to prolong their lives. He said his outfit was ready to provide help to such persons when contacted. 07 Dec. 07