Harold Bokaba – South Africa

Profile

It takes a particular type of personality to dole out condoms to burly truck drivers, but that's just one of the approaches Harold Bokaba has taken in an effort to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS among his fellow South Africans.

A Unilever employee since 1977, Harold originally ran the help desk at Unilever's customer care centre for delivery drivers, in the Johannesburg suburb of Boksburg. In the course of his career he has also been an active trade union member and shop steward for 16 years. As the HIV/AIDS crisis began to worsen, around 1991, he became a volunteer in his spare time, "That is when I decided to change from a trade union activist to a crying and caring person for people infected with the epidemic. I started handing out condoms to the delivery truck drivers who passed through our distribution centre." This was because truck drivers are seen as one way for the HIV virus to travel from community to community. Through this volunteer work, he became known, affectionately, as 'Mr Aids' or 'Mr Condoms'.

For Harold, trying to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS has become a calling. The AIDS pandemic has already claimed millions of sub-Saharan Africans and threatens the lives of countless millions more. People like Harold are now essential components in the battle against the deadly virus. So much so, that he has now become a full time aids champion for Unilever.

Community work

He now works directly with Sister Gillian Harrower, who is HIV/AIDS and Health Services Co-ordinator for Unilever South Africa and Africa. The work Harold does fits with the overall strategy for Unilever's AIDS programme, because working amongst the community is an essential component to the success of the programme. Gill says, "By reaching out to the disadvantaged and HIV/AIDS affected and infected members of the community we are able to do an excellent networking exercise. In addition, our resource centre serves as a meeting place for NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations) and other companies who need assistance in setting up HIV/AIDS programmes."

Harold never thought this would ever turn into a full time job, but he now realises that this is to be his life's work. "Everyone in South Africa knows someone who has suffered from this awful virus", he says. And he knows this because over recent years the HIV/AIDS virus has, sadly, claimed the lives of some of his own family.

Education & awareness raising

These days his remit extends far beyond burly truck drivers. Now the work includes educating school children, raising awareness among adults in communities and in the workplace, even educating what he calls the "forgotten societies", such as those in prison – where rape and sodomy is widespread and offers fertile breeding ground for the virus.

"My main objective is to try and empower these forgotten people so that they can manage this problem on their own, at their own pace." He accepts that it is a very big task and that changing people's behaviour does not happen overnight. "It is going to take time. We need to constantly go on and on until people start understanding."

He says the training he received in his early career at Unilever has helped him manage the ominous task he has now taken on. Although he never expected to leave the distribution side of the business, he recognises that he is now doing something that is really helping to make a difference to the people around him, to their society and to the company.

During 2008 Harold hopes to strengthen Unilever South Africa’s network of employee peer educators who raise awareness of HIV/AIDS among their colleagues. “There are about 30 peer educators at our site in Boksburg who I mentor. This year we’d like to get management involved to raise awareness among their management level colleagues. Another aim is to recruit white employees as peer educators to combat the perception that HIV/AIDS only affects black people.”

National recognition

Harold loves his work and more and more people are hearing about it. He's even been interviewed on national TV to discuss the issues. "We have also linked up with more than 35 NGOs, who we are working with, and other employees at Unilever are becoming very supportive. They are making donations, helping us out in our soup kitchens and in the outreach work we do. People really want to get involved, so things may start to change. And it's all worth it. Even if we help just one person in a day, it's all worth it."

In 2006, Harold was selected to be the first 'Angel in Action' ambassador by Informer, South Africa's only newspaper for people living with, or caring for those with HIV/AIDS. For Harold, the award "is an honour. It has made me realise that South Africa is taking note of the work I am doing and for that I am grateful. I am also grateful for the people who trusted me enough to let me help them, to the people who have supported me and walked the walk with me."

Read more on our strategy for tackling AIDS and how we are sharing our experience with other businesses.