Changing the Rivers Flow- A New Generation!

Changing the Rivers Flow (CTRF)

In 2009 SAfAIDS rolled out an ambitious programme across southern Africa whose hope was to challenge the cultural practices that were keeping communities stuck in a vicious cycle of new HIV infection.

SAfAIDS experience as researchers and HIV activists highlighted that some cultural practices were riskier than others. Culture after all is dynamic! One example common to many African communities is wife inheritance, which traditionally brought stability to families but in the context of HIV can spread new infections rapidly.

SAfAIDS Changing the Rivers Flow materials shared reports from baseline studies, best practice documentation and field tools to support policy makers, programmers and community based volunteers to engage and understand localised HIV risk factors and facilitate knowledge for action.

Acknowledging cultural problems was an important first step and today SAfAIDS and others now work more closely with traditional, religious and other community leaders as the space to discuss southern Africa's dynamic culture opens up. This space was opended up by creatively imagining and dreaming solutions and alternatives for families committed to their culture that are life-affirming.

Changing the Rivers Flow 4YP
SAfAIDS is again being supported by Sweden to creatively imagine and dream and dig deeper into the gender bottlenecks within our global cultural practices. This time the focus is on Africa's largest constituency- young people- to support gender transformation. Why?

Africa has the youngest population in the whole world, with an average of 30% or more of populations across African nations being young in 2015 (and this can be much higher in individual countries). All young people of the world face challenges but young people across Africa are many and face some of the biggest (UNFPA 2015):

• every day 39,000 girls in Africa become child brides, or about 140 million in a decade;
• tennage pregnancy and adolescent birth rates in Eastern and Southern Africa are higher, as are unwanted pregnancies and unmet demand for contraception; 
• new HIV infections are highest amongst Africa's young people, especially young women
• gender gaps in Africa's schools favour boys, but both boys and girls have much lower enrollment and retention rates in schools.

The common thread in this shortlist of challenges is the relationship between women and men, which continue to favour men OVER women. 

So we are partnering with Sonke Gender Justice to put together a gender transformative programme for young people that will help young people recognise and strive for healthier relationships to secure the future of Africa.  After all, change comes from within. Let's work together for greater equality! SAfAIDS and SONKE know that the enabling environment for young people is critical so we have not left out parents, guardians, traditional, religious and political leaders.

If you have not already seen SAfAIDS existing CTRF materials check them out on SAfAIDS website (see the link below), and watch this space for a new generation of knowledge for action materials =D

http://safaids.net/content/changing-rivers-flow-series-challenging-gender-dynamics-cultural-context-address-hiv-march-2