Fabien Nové Josserand

Fabien is an experienced Personal Development Consultant, who gives motivational talks and workshops on HIV/AIDS to corporates, government organizations, NGO's and schools.

Some of his previous clients include:

 Colgate SA
 ABI
 FEDHASA
 MTN
 KAELO
 Northwest Province Dep.of Agriculture
 City of Johannesburg
 National Government Treasury
 PUTCO
 SAPOA
 Abbotts College
 Allen Glen High School
 Wendywood High School
 St John's College
 Carnival City (Sun International)

Fabien has written a self-help guide, "Dealing with Alphonse – How to deal with HIV – 8 STEPS to deal with your HIV status and carry on with your life."

He is also the founder of 'CHAT' – Counselling HIV & AIDS Training.

CHAT TRAINING & WORKSHOPS

Executive Summary

HIV/Aids is more than a disease.

It is a social problem that is affecting every level of society. Especially in South Africa where the scope of the pandemic is difficult to apprehend, almost 19% of the age group 15 to 49 is living with HIV/Aids. This segment of the population constitutes the bulk of the working force of the country. In total, it is estimated that more than 6 million people live with HIV/Aids in South Africa. When you think about it, there is not one person in the country who is not either infected or affected by HIV.

Yet, strangely, HIV and Aids are still very much taboo subjects at home and in the work place.

Yet, horribly, people living with HIV/Aids are stigmatized and treated as second class citizens, sometimes marginalized and abandoned.

Yet, still 1500 new infections occur every day.

Yet, still 1000 people die every day when their deaths could be avoided because a treatment exists to prevent the virus from completely destroying the immune system – why then are so many people dying?

People are dying because of ignorance, stigma and pre-conceived ideas. It is time to get the proper information about HIV/Aids and get rid of all the garbage that has been floating around.

By empowering your employees with the knowledge that HIV need not be a death sentence anymore, we will create an atmosphere where your staff feels confident to seek treatment if need be and continue to be productive in your business.

Fabien Nové-Josserand has been living with HIV for the past 26 years. He is living proof that HIV can be managed!

"Knowledge is Power!"

Why CHAT?

 CHAT is unique because it draws from 26 years of experience, knowledge, and common sense that Fabien has contributed to our workshops.

 We aim to make a real difference in the way people look at HIV/Aids.

 We aim to break the stigma and preconceived ideas about HIV/Aids.

 We will show your staff the "8 Steps to Deal with HIV – or anything in your Life" that Fabien has developed over the years.

CHAT's 8-Step Workshop covers the following:

STEP 0: Beginning the Journey with your Alphonse
The Grim Reaper: the TV advertisement that saved my life
My life with Alphonse

STEP 1: Get Tested
Why should you get tested? What's in it for you?
The quick test vs. the long test – know your status and react (i.e. live) or remain unaware of your status (i.e. die slowly)

STEP 2: Grieve
The grieving process

STEP 3: Become the Expert Patient
Knowledge is power
Continuous tests: CD4 Cell test count & Viral Load test – add years to your life

STEP 4: Acceptance
Denial is not an option
Birthing your Alphonse

STEP 5: Forgiving Yourself
What is forgiveness?
How I forgave myself

STEP 6: Forgiving Alphonse
How to forgive Alphonse, the unwelcome guest
The bargaining factor: talking to Alphonse

STEP 7: Treatment & Support
Early detection is of paramount importance
Treatment – ARVs and my first experience with ARVs
Learn from my mistakes
Seek support

STEP 8: Living Healthily
Be healthy: exercise, eat well, keep a sane mind, use your common sense
Safe behavioural practices
What I did 21 years ago... And what I'm still doing today!

The workshop curriculum is designed to make individuals get tested and adopt the right attitude that allows for a healthy productive way of dealing with their status, so that they function in their job roles with greater efficacy. This means that workshops cater for employees as individuals, who also function as part of their organisation's culture, structure and style: neither ambit is neglected or prioritised, in favour of an holistic approach.

CHAT's comprehensive, customer-focused solution includes facilitated soft skill training, while tailor-made courses – aligned to your company's specific requirements – may also be developed.

What are the Benefits?

CHAT's ethic revolves around the inarguable fact that people are your most valuable assets. Their ability to perform – to work efficiently, communicate clearly and lead effectively – determines your company's success. You need to ensure that they are healthy enough to excel in the workplace and you need to help them understand that their physical well-being is as important as their intellectual competency.

South African organisations need to take cognisance of the fact that skills shortages and high turnover have become a global phenomenon. Globally, employee turnover rates are approximately 25% per annum. This means that on average organisations are replacing their entire workforce every four years. It has been estimated that the cost of losing an employee is 150% of the total cost to company to replace that employee. There are separation, recruitment, induction and learning time and costs involved when someone leaves your organisation, not to mention the loss of productivity while the employee is off sick and while the company struggles to find a suitable replacement.

If you lose a manager who has been paid say R300 000 per annum, the cost of replacing that person and getting the new manager to the same level of productivity will be in the region of R450 000. These horrifying statistics have important implications on every level in the organisations.

There are several mechanisms by which HIV/Aids affects the competitiveness of South African businesses:

Labour Supply
Aids and Aids-related deaths lead directly to a reduction in the number of available workers. These deaths occur predominantly among workers in their most productive years. As younger, less experienced workers replace experienced workers; worker productivity is reduced, which in turn results in a decline in competitiveness.

Profitability
Aids and Aids-related death reduces the profitability of South African businesses by both increasing the cost of production, and decreasing the productivity of South African workers. Clearly, the loss of profitability will reduce South Africa's competitive advantage.

Other Impacts
Aids can also affect South African businesses in many ways that are difficult to quantify but that, nonetheless, can significantly affect competitiveness. For example, Aids affects worker morale, labour relations, demand for output, and so forth.

These shocking facts can be minimised by implementing a comprehensive HIV/Aids Awareness and Training programme.

"Death by Ignorance is the most avoidable of all deaths!"
-Common Sense Adage-