Violence is not a solution to any problem. It creates more problems.
As nurse manager for the HIV clinic at the ANGAU Memorial Provincial Hospital in Lae, Julie Kitoneka conducts HIV testing and counselling, treatment and management of patients with HIV.
One of her significant roles is preventing infants from being infected by HIV at birth and with the support of her team, Julie has facilitated safe delivery of more than thirty babies in 2022.
Julie also encounters victims of gender-based violence (GBV), intimate partner violence (IPV) and child abuse on a daily basis, while dealing with disability and HIV cases. Hence, she applied for the Graduate Certificate in Counselling (GCC) through the Australia Awards Short Courses.
Julie was one of 26 awardees – six men and 20 women – who studied the course in 2019 through Griffith University in Australia.
“The GCC course has enhanced my counselling skills. It gave me a deeper knowledge to deliver good counselling services to my patients or clients,” she says.
“I learnt about the approaches that I am now using to help the patients or clients achieve their set goals. It also gives me the ability to identify patients or clients who are facing GBV and IPV and help them to access services that are available within the province.
“People with disability have access to all HIV services and are treated the same as everyone because we are here for them all.”
As a facilitator or trainer, she said the skills learnt from the course have also helped her in facilitating capacity building trainings for the HIV program in Morobe Province.