An Adolescents' HIV Prevention and Treatment Toolkit for Eastern and Southern Africa

Building on the exciting workshop with UNESCO and their country offices and government and civil society partners last week, I thought it would be pertinant to share another resource recently developed with their guidance.

The Adolescents' HIV Prevention and Treatment Toolkit emerged from the the "My Big Story Book - Learners & Teachers Tell their Stories of Living Positively with HIV" : A Practical Guide for Teachers, published by UNESCO in 2013.

This guide includes background information as well as lesson plans to tackle issues such as stigma and discrimination, disclosure, caring for each other, becoming an HIV champion and reaching out to others in the community on HIV issues. It uses an exciting PhotoVoice methodology.

Fact 1: Evidence shows us that 52% of all new infections among young people occur in Eastern and Southern Africa. 

Fact 2: Fewer than 40% of young people in the region have basic information about HIV.

The Adolescents' Toolkit developed in partnership with SAfAIDS has several pieces which together make up the Young Champions Support Pack, for use and dissemination in schools. There is a facilitators guide aimed at teachers, school staff and counsellors that uses a training of trainers approach so that those introduced to the pack can teach others how to use it.

There is a reference handbook for all those trained as a training take-away and go-to resources for facts and other information on HIV Prevention and Treatment relating to adolescents.

As the pack is for young people themselves, helping them know more and encouraging them to be young champions for change, there are three age appropriate workbooks that take young people through what they need to know about HIV prevention and treament in a fun way.

And because it is school based there are 11 Educators Cards to prompt discussion at appropriate times in the classroom.

UNESCO are rolling out these kits across Eastern and Southern Africa. At SAfAIDS we have 200 of these kits to use creatively with school based and school linked partners. Excitingly, this Young Champion Support Pack crosss over to out of school youth (including young married couples).

Thre are also the usual SAfAIDS games, quiz cards (colour coded for differnt topics), stickers and a poster for all to have fun with.

Want to know more? Get in touch on info@safaids.net

You want it- we've got it!

Young people are our future, let's keep them safe! 

Materials to support the engagement of the community on comprehensive sexuality education across Eastern and Southern Africa

The meeting is over! What an intense and interesting few days. We now have creative briefs for several materials:

• A Capacity Building Manual to help improve delivery and uptake of CSE services at community level targeted at schools and CSOs
• A CSE Community Toolkit targeting parents and other community gatekeepers to improve their engagement
• An IEC guide to support the production of campaign materials specifically aimed at traditional, political and religious leaders so that messages are harmonised and appropriate to local situations and needs
• A 'How To' Guide on conducting community dialogues on CSE with a special emphasis on intergenerational dialogues

As a follow-up at country level there will be a process of CSE service mapping so that communities, when sensitised and mobilised, have a community level roadmap of CSE services at hand. Knowing where, when and how to access services is critical.

Thanks to all the lovely participants for their attendance- beautiful human beings one and all!
Watch this blog space for launch of the materials in 2015.

Materials and multi-media approaches to engaging communities on taboo topics

Today we has lots of fun discussing the important interaction of materials, media and face-to-face meetings. We were sharing the lessons from the region around community dialogues and how to facilitate discussions between the ages (intergenerational dialogues).

No better way to get the discussion going than role-play activities. What a morning we had. Kick started by our own Positive Talk TV Host Tariro Chikumbire, we were challenged to come up with a guide to help parents, guardians and other community gatekeepers use cultural practices positively to support young peoples access to comprehensive sexuality education.

The group work really got us thinking and once we stimulated the discussion with an especially dynamic episode of Positive Talk TV Zimbabwe that focused on Menstrual Hygiene Management, the participants rolled up their sleeves and began to role play discussions with community members on this very taboo topic of sexuality. At times we had to throw our hands up and start again! In the end we got there and drafted the content frameworks for a regional guideline on conducting intergenerational dialogues and discussed key messages for community gatekeepers.

The success of this meeting is the collaboration between the facilitators and the participants. These participants are awesome- meet the remaining country team members from Malawi, Uganda and Lesotho.

 A one lady team from Lesotho: Itumeleng Motemekoane, from PHELA in Lesotho

 Team Uganda: Agnes Asulo, Uganda AIDS Council and Godfrey Walakira, Straight Talk

Team Malawi: Jessie Kazembe, UNESCO and Simon Sikwese, Pakachoe (missing Naireti Molande)

Tomorrow we conclude with some action plans and formalising a regional mentoring network on scaling up CSE and engaging community members on this important issue.

What do Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia have in common?

These amazing people working to support a happy healthy Africa through the promotion of comprehensive sexuality education :D

Meet our dynamic country teams giving their time and energy to supporting community engagement on comprehensive sexuality education.

 Team Mozambique (left to right): Salvador Matavele, Nation Institute for Curriculum Development, Marcal Monteiro, Nweti Health Communication, Angelina Tivane and Noel Chicuecue, UNESCO.

 Team Tanzania (left to right): Mathias Herman, UNESCO, Dr. Elizabeth Mapella, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and Lulu Ng'wanakilala, UMATI

Team Zambia (left to right): Alicegreg Saili, UNESCO, Chrispin Chombo, SAfAIDS, Exilda Gondwe, Ministry of Education

What is Comprehensive Sexuality Education (it's not just sex you know...)?

Sexuality education is defined as an age-appropriate, culturally relevant approach to teaching about sex and relationships by providing scientifically accurate, realistic, non-judgemental information. Sexuality education provides an opportunity to explore values and attitudes and to build decision-making, communication and risk reduction skills about many aspects of a young person health.

It is linked to youth friendly services...which rely on community engagement..which is tricky because young people receive sexuality education that their parents do not always have access to...

...but more tomorrow. In the meantime check out this site.

Later and safer sex - the benefits of comprehensive sexuality education for young people

52% of all new HIV infections amongst young people occur in Eastern and Southern Africa, and as many as six in ten of all young women have had a child by the time they reach 19 years old. These facts and others have seen SIDA-NORAD join forces with UNESCO to scale-up and roll-out comprehensive sexual education in the region. Many young people across Africa grow into adolescence and adulthood with inadequate knowledge about their reproductive health and sexuality.

Why? Good question. While we think about it, this knowledge gap has consequences:

• High rates of HIV infection; with young women (15-24 years) as much as six times more likely to be infected
• High levels of teenage pregnancy
• Persistent gender inequality and human rights violations
• Sexually transmitted infections, including HIV
• Harmful gender norms about masculinity and femininity

This week, tasked by UNESCO,  SAfAIDS is spearheading the development of materials targeted at encouraging community engagement in comprehensive education in support of an enabling environment for young people to access sexual and reproductive health information and services. We have representatives from government education and health ministries,  civil society organisations and UN development partners from six countries all in the same room. It's amazing. Here are some highlights:

We have four days to agree on the materials, produce a creative brief and outline the content frameworks. Big task. But that's SAfAIDS for you, we have tools, techniques and a time-tested material development model. 

Thank you UNESCO Regional Team for supporting this pioneering meeting and the mentoring/support network that will emerge from the multi-country collaboration. Watch this space. Tomorrow we will start to showcase the country team members whose energy and enthusiasm are making this happen. 

T

At the heart of the African Community is a woman we need to support!

“In sub-Saharan Africa, adolescent girls and young women are up to five times more likely to get HIV as young men, and HIV is the biggest killer among women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries,” said Michael Kirby, an HIV campaigner who also spoke at the opening ceremony at AIDS 2014 in July this year in Melbourne, Australia.

SAfAIDS includes all community members in its efforts to help Africa realise its sexual and reproductive health and rights and be free from the burden of HIV, TB and other related development health issues! 

At the heart of any African community there is a woman and it is from the heart that the Women's Treatment Literacy Toolkit was developed.

Stigma and discrimination disconnects the head and the heart!  

When this toolkit was launched in Zimbabwe in 2006 it reached 5000 urban and rural women in its first year! To boost its reach, media programmes were conducted (in English and local languages) discussing the issues and re-enacting the stories inside that range from getting tested, treatment and its effects on the body, as well as the importance of treatment buddies for good adherence and feelings of well-being.

Today the toolkit is available online from our website so you can share download them and share them on resource centre computers or print copies as needed for discussion and dissemination.

http://www.safaids.net/?q=node/20

SAfAIDS continues to encourage the wide and extensive application and dissemination of this publication within communities, civil society, religious sectors, policy making and legal fraternities, clinical practitioners, private sector and groups of people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA). Thanks must go to the original funding partners American Jewish World Services (AJWS) and ActionAid International. its lively cartoons and regional stories make it as relevant today as is was when it was produced. 

The colourful toolkit has since been translated into Shona and Ndebele, the vernacular languages used in Zimbabwe, and Portuguese for Lusophone speaking countries.

Interested in women’s treatment issues? Then get in touch, we will be happy to work with you to get this kit into your integrated health programmes across the region.

HIV is not a death sentence, we can move on and support those already infected to live happily and well. Our mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts are precious - let's support them! 

Knowledge gives life!

A parent living with HIV has a lot to think about. So many emotions, so many fears. One of these fears is telling their children, young or old, their HIV status. Another fear is that their children may also have HIV and feelings of shame and blame can feel just impossible. Thirty years on, stigma and discrimination is still with us as communities, families and as individuals in the form of self-stigma!


HIV is NOT a death sentence. This is the focus of the SAfAIDS Children's ART Literacy Series. 'Knowledge gives life' reads one of the stickers in the package. How true.

Giving life to children goes beyond birth. Giving life is also about living. A happy and fulfilled life is a gift that parents, guardians and families of children living with HIV can give when careful and loving disclosure to their children about their status comes together with an easy and fun way to manage the medicines that children living with HIV need to stay healthy and strong. They may be young, but children do have a right to know the things that affect their lives.

In 2008 SAfAIDS understood that this was a gap that needed filled. They put together this wonderful package to help parents and caregivers and service providers support children with and through
their treatment. This package was produced with the help of our visionary funders, but today we see there may be need to update and begin to use it again.

Do you know your status? 

Do your children know their status? 

Want to use this kit? If you want an e-copy of this kit, it is available from our online catalogue. Just follow this link:

http://www.safaids.net/content/kids-art-education-series-childrens-treatment-literacy-toolkit

Want to update this kit? Come talk to SAfAIDS, we can make a plan!

Our Baby Our Future - encouraging parents to know their status and the status of their new born babies

The Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child (MoHCC) care recently shared that of the 121,111 children in Zimbabwe needing paediatric HIV care and treatment, only 38% (around ±46,000) are receiving it. Low treatment coverage is attributed to few children knowing their status, limited health facilities offering treatment for children and a lack of confidence by health workers to work with children in this area.

The first is something that can be addressed by raising awareness at community level. SAfAIDS have supported MoHCC to produce a set of IEC designed to do just that.

The Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) Roadmap provides 11 clear steps to help health care workers support parents (and those planning for parenthood) know their HIV status, and the status of their new born child. This is a critical starting point.

To support this an action IEC for families to take home has also been produced (in Shona, Ndebele and English).

Together with posters, and materials to support the good work of Village Health Workers, these materials are already at community and clinic level.

Talking to children about HIV is hard. Very hard, but we must find ways to do so. Even better, let's prevent HIV infection in children.This is what PMTCT support in Zimbabwe is aiming to achieve. No more babies born with HIV. 

If you want to find out more about these materials, and others in the Our Baby, Our Future campaign series get in touch with the SAfAIDS office at 17 Beveridge Road, Avondale in Harare. 

Next week we will share SAfAIDS Children's Treatment Literacy Toolkit, a resource that helps families, community and service providers talk to and support children through HIV treatment and care.