A TOTAL of 92 community HIV volunteers drawn from three districts in Mashonaland East province have received bicycles from the National Aids Council (NAC) to allow easy access to distant areas.

The beneficiaries who received the first batch of bicycles are from Chikomba, Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe (UMP), and Wedza districts.

In a speech read on behalf of Mashonaland East Provincial Minister Apollonia Munzvrengwi by the director in her officer, Muchemwa Mugwisi, she said the donation was welcome as it improved the quality and health of People Living With HIV in communities.

"The community-based peer-led approach is also in line with the dictates of the country's National Development Strategy (NDS1), which focuses on capacitating communities to take lead in pursuit of their development desires. It is also in line with SDG Goal Number 3 on Health and Well Being, and dovetails well with the Global Vision of Ending AIDS by 2030," the minister said.

"Therefore, in order to strengthen the capacity of community volunteers to do their work properly, it is prudent that they be provided with the necessary tools of the trade, which will result in increased service delivery coverage, efficiency, and improved quality of life for all people within our province."

A total of 461 community volunteers in the province are set to receive the bicycles from NAC.

Of the 92 delivered on Monday in the province, Chikomba will get 50, Hwedza (20)and UMP (22).

NAC Mashonaland East Provincial AIDS Coordinator (PAC) Wilfred Dube said the bicycles will go a long way in combating the spread of HIV in the province.

"The volunteers will use these bicycles in their communities who work under different HIV prevention models for example Sista 2 Sista and Peer-Led Model among others. This is to ensure that we combat the spread of HIV within our communities. The other batches of bicycles will arrive soon," said Dube.

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