About the Company: Bonite Bottling Limited (BBL) bottles and distributes 12 Coca Cola brands of drinks. A subsidiary of the IPP Group of companies, Bonite's main plant is located in Moshi in the Kilimanjaro region of northern Tanzania. BBL also bottles its own brand of bottled water: Kilimanjaro Drinking Water. The company operates in 4 major regions of Northern Tanzania – Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Manyara and Singida. The northern part of Tanzania attracts a lot of tourist coming to see Mt Kilimanjaro and visiting the Serengeti game reserve and other similar tourist attractions in this region. BBL has over 450 permanent employees, most of them men with only 18 women. Over 300 of the employees are based at the main plant. BBL also employs casual employees, some of whom are employed for periods of up to 6 months. In the peak season (August to Jan/February), there are approximately 400 casual employees and in the low season the number declines to about 200.
HIV/AIDS in Tanzania: According to the joint United Nations program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), in the United Republic of Tanzania, about 7% of the mainland was living with HIV
by the end of 2005. In cities and towns HIV averaged 11%, twice the levels found in rural areas.
However, the epidemiological situation is worsening in some rural areas increasing prevalence to more than 10%. Quoting a recent study in rural parts of the country, UNAIDS said about 40% of married men said they had extramarital sexual relationships.
HIV/AIDS Program: Launched in 2004, BBL’s HIV/AIDS program is predicated on awareness and education. The program is managed by the company’s Human Resources and Administration department. The company has crafted an HIV/AIDS action plan, and an HIV/AIDS policy was developed and discussed with the employees. In collaboration with Moshi Municipal Multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS Committee (MMC), and KIWAKKUKI (a Swahili phrase for Women Against AIDS in Kilimanjaro), a non governmental organization (NGO), BBL has conducted a series of HIV/AIDS awareness training sessions for its employees. On a rotational basis, select groups of staff attend the training sessions which are held on Sundays. BBL provides transport and meals for the attendees. Since 2004 the company has held four two-day training sessions for employees every year. The company distributes condoms free of charge through dispensers located in the toilets on its premises. BBL supplements the condoms it gets free of charge from the government with purchases from Population Services International (PSI). The company monitors its sick leave and absentee records. The idea is to determine if any major trends are related to HIV/AIDS.
Working with IFC Against AIDS: IFC Against AIDS started working with BBL on its HIV/AIDS program in 2005. IFC Against AIDS assisted the company in the selection of a focal person, Winnie Swai, who manages the implementation of the HIV/AIDS action plan. Plans are underway to set up an AIDS committee within BBL to facilitate the implementation of the HIV/AIDS program. The focal point reports to the human resources manager. IFC Against AIDS is to assist the company review its HIV/AIDS policy and disseminate it to all staff. The committee is to have representatives from four spheres of action: operational, medical and managerial sections of the company, and the community.
Partnerships: Working with partners is an integral part of BBL’s HIV/AIDS program. The company has partnered both with the government and private sector organizations in the implementation of its program. BBL works with MMC, a municipal committee which coordinates AIDS awareness campaigns; condom distribution, voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), home based care programs (HBC) and sexually transmitted infection programs (STI) in and around the Moshi area. MMC is made up of representatives from various government sectors but none from the private sector. MMC’s members also include eight active NGOs and meets once every 2 months. BBL is the only company that MMC is assisting. In working with KIWAKKUKI which has 5,000 members and 30 staff members, BBL has tapped into the NGO’s expertise in awareness and prevention programs, as well as VCT programs. KIWAKKUKI’s VCT centers see 15-20 clients every day. The NGO has about 75 peer educators in the Kilimanjaro region.
Care and Treatment: BBL has its own clinic at the main plant which is run by a nurse. A doctor comes to the clinic 3 times a week. The clinic provides free medical treatment to both employees and their families. Although few cases of STIs are presented at the company clinic, government clinics report an increase in the number of STI cases. As a result, the municipal clinic now offers free STI services as way of encouraging people to seek treatment.
Future Plans: Plans are underway to set up an AIDS committee within BBL to facilitate the implementation of the HIV/AIDS program. A knowledge, attitudes, practices and behavior (KAPB) survey among the staff has been planned. IFC Against AIDS will assist with sample questionnaires for the survey which will be conducted in 2 phases: an initial baseline survey and a follow up survey 12 to 18 months later. The same questionnaire would be used. BBL will identify a partner organization to conduct the survey on their behalf. Another plan is to introduce a peer education program. Approximately 35 peer educators are to be recruited from all departments and trained. These will be expected to conduct various activities each week including video shows, dramas and group discussions. BBL will be assisted by its partner MMC to recruit and train these peer educators. HIV/AIDS posters and pamphlets will also be made widely available and accessible. The company’s occupational health and safety policy is to be adjusted to cater for the prevention of accidental HIV transmission through contact with infected blood or body fluids.
