What Ngosa Musonda had to say about Betherida Lukalanga

She has not even been at Chazanga Health Centre for a year, but she has helped a lot of parents and caregivers. She is one of the health workers who loves to be in the presence of adolescents and young people. For us adolescents living with HIV, it’s easy for us to share our stories and experiences because she is jovial and always smiling. Parents and caregivers who have children living with HIV find comfort in her when faced with challenges or complicated issues concerning their children.

During our weekly support group meetings, she is always there to offer guidance and support to the other adolescents and young people in the support group. Whenever she notices any problem in the group, she quickly finds a way to resolve issues. Her respect for confidentiality gives most adolescents and young people the ability to trust her and open up to her on issues that affect them personally. She is always there to offer one-on-one psychosocial support to adolescents and young people who visit the facility on the adolescent clinic day.

Since she began working at the facility, most adolescents have been adhering to treatment because of the love that she offers to them. She also has the skills to offer basic mental health support to adolescents and young people who show signs of unhealthy thoughts, and she is someone who they can open up to. She is loved by adolescents and young people, not only those living with HIV but every adolescent and young person because of the love which she offers naturally. She not only sacrifices her time and work but also offers to buy sweets and other requirements for adolescents and young people during their meetings, using her own resources.

I enjoy the way she facilitates the counseling sessions in a flexible and calm manner. Her counseling sessions in the adherence room with the adolescents and young people always start with sharing stories as well as cracking jokes. This helps her to build a good rapport with the clients and the caregivers. She always says, ‘I don’t want to see anyone die of negligence or non-adherence or denial.’ She encourages everyone to adhere to treatment because she knows how it feels to be HIV positive. Ever since she started at Chazanga Clinic, most of the peads and young people have become virally suppressed due to her magical counseling and support skills.