Chevron and the North Star Foundation, an international HIV/AIDs NGO recently opened a Roadside Wellness Centre at the Oshoek border post between South Africa and Swaziland. The centre was officially opened by the Minister of Transport and Public Works of Swaziland, the honourable Mr E. G. M. Shongwe.

In keeping with its policy of joining hands with like-minded organisations, Chevron South Africa the as partnered with the North Star Foundation, a global agency advocating HIV/AIDs awareness and prevention to address the issue at its source by providing truck-drivers and the surrounding communities with information on HIV/AIDs and STIs.

This joint initiative provides education on sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDs, distributes safe sex aids such as condoms and provides basic medical services to drivers and surrounding communities, including the testing and treatment for most STIs. Although focussing predominantly on truckers and transient haulers using the busy Swaziland / South Africa route, the Centre also serves as a health resource centre to the neighbouring community.

At the launch of the facility, Mr James Ngubo, Manager - Community Engagement, for Chevron South Africa (Pty) Limited, said, “In the face of this global pandemic, we cannot afford to be complacent about the impact that the disease has on our people today, nor afford to be ignorant of the effects that HIV/AIDs will have on the future of our children. It is therefore important that we summon our individual and collective energies to support efforts to curb this epidemic - no matter how small or great these attempts may be.”

He stressed Chevron’s ongoing efforts to assist in the fight against HIV/AIDs, such as its partnership with Coca-Cola to contribute a percentage of sales of Coca-Cola products to the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation. In fact, Chevron’s policies in South Africa have been so successful that they, together with input from initiatives in Angola and Nigeria, have been used as a blueprint throughout the global Chevron organisation.

As a result, Chevron was honoured by the Global Business Coalition (GBC), a non-profit organization that works with businesses to leverage their assets, skills and networks to tailor localized campaigns to prevent and control the spread of HIV/AIDS, with a Business Excellence in the Workplace Award.

About the North Star Foundation

North Star Foundation is a public-private partnership that is establishing a network of roadside health clinics at major truck stops and border crossings in Africa, India and Asia. Wellness Centres offer a practical, low-barrier and low-cost response to the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) among the transport industry.

NSF offers a full-range of services related to the establishment and running of roadside clinics in transport hubs and/or border crossing transport stops. Working with local implementing partners we can source, outfit, supply and staff new centres. NSF has experience working with national/regional transport sectors and health authorities to identify HIV/AIDS hotspots along major transport corridors. The centres provide sexual health education, counseling, testing and treatment for drivers and the communities with which they directly interact, including sex workers. North Star Foundation (NSF) was founded in 2006 by the international post and parcel delivery company TNT, with support from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). The foundation is officially supported by the joint UN programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the Federation of East and Southern Africa Road Transport Associations (FESARTA).