Supporting Lesotho teachers to develop resilience in the face of the HIV and AIDS pandemic

HIV and AIDS threaten to erode the wellbeing of teachers who are faced with an increasing number of children rendered vulnerable by the pandemic. This article explores the usefulness of a supportive group intervention, Resilient Educators (REds), in supporting Lesotho teachers to respond to the HIV and AIDS-related challenges. A time-series pre- and post-intervention design was used to evaluate the programme. The findings indicate that the intervention led to an increase in the sense of agency of participating teachers both on a personal and community level. The findings have international significance for teachers working in similar contexts characterised by extreme adversity.

► Teachers’ personal coping responses to HIV and AIDS challenges in their personal lives was enhanced by their participation in the REds programme.
► Teachers’ ability to cope resiliently in their professional context was enhanced by their participation in the REds programme.
► Teacher programmes to enhance resilience in the face of HIV and AIDS should be culturally appropriate and sensitive.