Participant feedback
Participants highlighted three strengths of Yima Nkqo: sharing with and learning from peers with HIV; the sense of motivation and support from the facilitator; and education about HIV and ART. One participant wrote, “I will stop having bad thoughts about myself because I now have people that support me.” Another participant raised a mental health concern, saying, “I am always having dark thoughts,” but “I love everything that we are doing here, and I wish I was always here.” The facilitator received additional training in recognizing the need for referral to mental health services, and all participants received a packet with information about local mental health resources. In response to participant feedback, we increased the amount of nutritious refreshments that were provided to participants during each session in recognition that many participants experienced food insecurity.