The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit

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A The Preventive BAlphabet Toolkit Innovative Approaches to Abstinence and Being Faithful (AB) Communication with Adolescents In July 2011, FHI became FHI 360.

FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in health, education, nutrition, environment, economic development, civil society, gender, youth, research and technology – creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today’s interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 60 countries, all 50 U.S. states and all U.S. territories.

Visit us at www.fhi360.org. The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit

Innovative Approaches to Abstinence and Being Faithful (AB) Communication with Adolescents

2 The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit: Innovative Approaches to Abstinence and Being Faithful (AB) Communication with Adolescents

ISBN: 1-933702-69-9

Acknowledgments

Shahana Chaudhury, an FHI consultant, organized the innovative approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention and behaviour change communication used by the SAMARTH demonstration project staff to reach out to children and adolescents. The staff and children of the demonstration projects—the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA); Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT); and Women’s Action Group (WAG)–CHEL- SEA (Children, Health, Education, Ladies, Senior Citizens, Environment, and Awareness)—contributed their ideas and time to this toolkit. The FHI/SAMARTH team provided technical input and the illustra- tions.

The FHI/SAMARTH team would like to thank several of FHI’s U.S.-based production staff members who contributed to the publication of this toolkit. In particular, we would like to thank Debbie McGill for editorial supervision, Dick Hill for layout and design, and Jesse Hastings for copyediting and managing the U.S. production team.

This document is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), under the terms of Cooperative Agreement #386-A-00-06-00161-00 to FHI. The contents are the responsibility of FHI and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

FHI/India H-5 Green Park Extension (Ground Floor) New Delhi—110 016 Telephone: +91–11–4048 7777 [email protected] www.fhi.org

All photographs are courtesy of FHI.

Cover photo by Sanjay Kumar

The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit 3 Table Of Contents

Foreword iv

Preface v

Part I: Prologue 1

Part II: Overview 3

The SAMARTH Project 3

The ABC Approach 4

Part III: The Toolkit 7

Activity A: Draw Along 9

Activity B: The Board Game 10

Activity C: Flash Cards 13

Activity D: Clippings 14

Activity E: Breaking News 15

Activity F: Create a Story 16

Activity G: Tell a Story 17

Activity H: Participatory Production 18

Part IV: Conclusion 21 Foreword

HIV/AIDS is one of the major public health problems in India. Children, especially adolescents, are more vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS due to the very characteristics of their being at the developmental stage, their experi- menting nature and their lack of information. Among these, children in slums are more vulnerable to both sexual abuse and unprepared initiation of sexual activity. In a world of fragmented relationships, physical proximity is often developed out of unfulfilled emotional needs and fragile self-esteem.

In this context, the AB(C) approach has been a critical part of the President’s Emer- gency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)-supported projects.

This AB toolkit is an effort to capture various approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention and behavior change communication among adolescents. Each approach is based on experiences with vulnerable children from three different projects supported by the United States Agency for International Development. It should be a useful tool for those work- ing with adolescents and vulnerable children.

I commend the efforts of FHI in developing this toolkit.

Kerry Pelzman Director Office of Population, Health and Nutrition

iv The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit Preface

Sexually active children who live in poverty are a particularly vulnerable demographic group. Their lack of risk awareness and abundance of opportunity to experiment with sex and drugs can lead to emotional and physical traumas such as child pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and the very real and frightening risk of unprotected sex: HIV infection.

The purpose of this toolkit is to reach out to children and adolescents with HIV/AIDS prevention and behavior change communication messages. The toolkit provides eight different adolescent-friendly and easy-to-use approaches that outline innovative ideas. Each approach can serve as a framework for the development of other intervention strategies.

The AB toolkit is a very useful guide for nongovernmental organizations and caregivers—both in the area of HIV and AIDS and in other fields—who wish to integrate HIV prevention strategies into their interventions with children and adolescents.

I commend the efforts of the USAID/FHI–SAMARTH team to develop this toolkit.

Bitra George

Country Director

FHI/India

New Delhi, India

The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit v Poonam and her sons play and laugh together at their home in Delhi. (Photo by Sanjay Kumar) Prologue 1 [The community organizer (CO) returns the smiles of children gathered around her at a community center in a Delhi slum.]

CO: If you do not go to school, what else do you do all day? Child: We sift through garbage and then play.

CO: What do you play? Child: Pakdan Pakdai. Chor police. Cricket.

CO: Cricket? That’s nice! Do girls here play as well?

[A small boy no more than eight years of age speaks.]

Child: Sometimes. When there are girls, we also play “house-house.”

CO: “House-house?” How do you play that?

[Several children chime in with explanations.]

Child 1: Oh, someone is father and someone is mother. The younger ones are usually children. Child 2: Yes, mothers cook, while fathers smoke bidis and drink and say, “Cook the meat.” Child 3: Then, after eating, the children have to pretend to sleep.

CO: Why?

Child 1: So that the mother and father can do their mother–father thing.

[The CO is intrigued.]

CO: “Mother-father thing”? What’s that?

[The answers are provided nonchalantly.]

Child 1: What mothers and fathers do at night after children go to bed. Child 2: Yes! We do it just like them. We even take our clothes off!

The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit 1 Here, a WAG–CHELSEA caregiver (right) counsels a young woman. (Photo by Sanjay Kumar)

2 The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit Overview: The SAMARTH Project

In India, HIV spreads mostly heterogeneously through groups at higher risk of infection, such as sex workers, men who have sex with men (MSM), injecting drug users (IDUs), and truck drivers. However, because India already has the third-largest HIV-infected population in the world, there is a danger that the virus could spread from high-risk groups to the general population. Government and civil society groups have an urgent need to take all necessary measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

1 2 SAMARTH is a program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/ India that provides evidence about HIV prevalence in India that can be used to inform policies and programs. SAMARTH is managed by a consortium led by FHI that works with government and civil society groups to facilitate a fast and strategic response to HIV. SAMARTH runs pilot projects to demon- strate the feasibility of implementing promising HIV-prevention practices for vulnerable groups, and it provides innovative program designs for the government and other stakeholders to adopt and scale up.

SAMARTH staff recognize that children who live in slums or on the streets are a vulnerable group. Through SAMARTH’s partners—the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT), and Women’s Action Group–Children, Health, Education, Ladies, Senior Citizens, Envi- ronment, and Awareness (WAG–CHELSEA)—the staff run demonstration projects based in New Delhi. Each project receives program management and technical support from FHI on effective HIV prevention, care, and treatment interventions for vulnerable adolescents (especially girls). The table below summarizes the partners’ work under the SAMARTH project.

Table 1: SAMARTH partner organizations and their functions within the project

Organization Focus group Role within the SAMARTH project

SBT Street children SBT runs its own short-stay homes, institutional care centers, and rehabilitation programs for street children. Its main role within the SAMARTH project is to provide HIV/AIDS prevention information, life skills education (LSE), abstinence (A) and abstinence/being faithful (AB) messages, as well as counseling and medical support services. SBT also provides technical support to local organizations to build their HIV-related institutional capacity. YWCA Children of sex workers, rag The YWCA provides vocational pickers, snake charmers, and training, remedial classes, nutri- ear cleaners tion support, LSE classes, and A or AB messages. The YWCA engages children in meaningful ways, with the dual purposes of keeping them off the streets and encouraging them to work for a better life.

1SAMARTH means, “being equipped to be effective”; it stands for Strengthen Abilities to Manage And Respond effectively To HIV/AIDS in India.

The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit 3 WAG–CHELSEA HIV-affected/infected children WAG–CHELSEA runs programs who live in slums for the poor and the marginal- ized. Under the SAMARTH project, it provides medical care, HIV testing, AB messaging, LSE classes, and counseling support to the HIV-affected/infected children who live in slums. Like SBT, WAG–CHELSEA also provides technical support to local organizations to build their HIV-related capacity.

The ABC Approach ABC is an acronym that stands for abstinence, being faithful to one partner, and correct and consistent condom use. The ABC approach is not a program per se. Rather, it is a behavior change strategy that encourages vulnerable groups to reduce or eliminate risky behaviors that could lead to the acquisition of HIV.

The ABC approach is undefined; it can involve one-to-one communication, group interaction, or any other novel method that the implementing agency recommends to effect behavior change. Although the methods are flexible, the goals are specific. The approach emphasizes behavior change that promotes: l Abstinence for youth and other unmarried persons l Fewer partners for sexually active adults l Delay of sexual debut l Mutual faithfulness l Correct and consistent use of condoms by those who are at risk of transmitting or becoming infected with HIV

The ABC approach can be an integral part of any prevention program for children, especially for those who live in unstable environments such as slums or the streets. Children in these environments often initiate or are forced into sexual practices during adolescence, so spreading the word about the practical advantages of abstinence and being faithful to one’s partner helps to delay sexual debut and discourages multiple sexual relationships.

Interventions in countries such as Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Thailand, and Uganda have shown that promoting risk-avoidance and risk-reduction behavior helps to slow the spread of HIV.2 Hence, the ABC approach is an essential part of any PEPFAR-funded project. As part of the SAMARTH projects, A and B messages have been used with vulnerable children between the ages of 10 and 17.

2Merson M H, Dayton J M, O’Reilly K (2000). Effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions in developing countries. AIDS, 14 (Suppl. 2):S68–84. Stover J, Walker N, Garnett G P et al. (2002). Can we reverse the HIV/AIDS pandemic with an expanded response? Lancet, 60:73–77.

4 The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit Children engage in educational and recreational activities at the SAMARTH/WAG–CHELSEA project drop-in center in Shahadara, Delhi. (Photo by Sanjay Kumar)

The Abstinence (A) Component

Discouraging premarital sex by promoting abstinence among young people is a highly effective method to protect members of this demographic group from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Reaching vulnerable youth with messages that promote abstinence is particularly important in India and in other countries with high HIV prevalence, because in these countries sexual activity often begins early and prior to marriage.

Internationally, a number of programs have succeeded in increasing rates of abstinence until marriage, delaying sexual debut, and achieving “secondary abstinence”—a return to abstinence—among sexually experienced youth. These programs promote: l Abstinence as the only certain way to avoid sexual transmission of HIV l The development of strategies for practicing abstinence, such as negotiation skills (i.e., the skills needed to say “no” to sex, as well as to communicate with adults and older children), engaging in productive activities, or pursuing a hobby or some other healthy personal interest l The decision by unmarried people to delay sexual debut until marriage l The adoption of cultural values that support delaying sex until marriage and denounce cross- generational sex, transactional sex, and coercive sex acts such as rape and incest

The Being Faithful (B) Component

This part of the ABC strategy encourages individuals to practice fidelity in all sexual relationships as a way to reduce the risk of exposure to HIV. Abstinence is the only certain way to eliminate the risk of acquiring HIV through sexual transmission. However, if a person elects to have sex, the fewer lifetime sexual partners he or she has, the lower the risk of contracting or spreading HIV or another STI.

The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit 5 Being faithful programs promote: l The elimination of casual sexual partnerships l The development of skills for sustaining marital fidelity l The importance of mutual faithfulness with an uninfected partner in reducing the transmission of HIV among individuals in long-term sexual partnerships l HIV counseling and testing for couples who do not know their HIV status l The endorsement of cultural values that support refraining from sex outside of marriage, reducing the number of sexual partners, and practicing marital fidelity, through strategies that respect and respond to local cultural customs l The adoption of cultural values that denounce cross-generational sex, transactional sex, and coercive sex acts such as rape and incest

Why are abstinence and being faithful important messages for youth?

Young people are the most important asset of any community or nation. Protecting them from contracting HIV is one of PEPFAR’s most critical missions. Young people who have not had their sexual debut must be encouraged to practice abstinence until they have established a lifetime monogamous relationship. For those young people who have already initiated sexual activity, returning to abstinence must be a primary message of prevention programs.

Why does the SAMARTH project choose not to promote condom use by young people?

Correct and consistent condom use is the third component of the ABC strategy. However, the SAMARTH project has elected not to emphasize this portion of the strategy, because it may have the unintended result of encouraging sexual activity among youth. At the very least, including this component could present condom use as a viable alternative to abstinence. The SAMARTH project’s direct work with youth indicates that only when individuals are identified as belonging to a high-risk behavior group should they be referred to integrated ABC (as opposed to AB-only) programs.

Who qualifies as a target audience for the AB approach under SAMARTH?

All SAMARTH implementing partners work with disadvantaged adolescents of varying profiles. Some are orphans living on the streets, some have run away from home, some live in communities where sex is a casual and everyday occurrence, and others come from societies in which both child marriage and prostitution are norms. All of these children are at risk of unprotected sex (either voluntary or coerced) and its potential consequences. The implementing partners rely on their research findings and experience when deciding whether to advocate an abstinence-only approach or abstinence and being faithful. Although children between the ages of 8 and 14 typically qualify to receive abstinence-only messages, in some cases, early teens already are either sexually active or married. For these children, the AB approach is used.

6 The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit The Toolkit

A facilitator may choose any technique for AB messaging that he or she believes will be most effective: for example, delivering AB messages either to one young person at a time or to a group of young people. However, most facilitators feel that, given the nature of the subject and the fact that children tend to shy away from discussing such mature issues with adults, it is best to introduce the AB approach only after mutual trust and respect are established. It is critical that the child trust the facilitator enough to be re- 3 ceptive, and it is equally important that the facilitator be sensitive and nonjudgmental while discussing the many health advantages of abstinence and being faithful.

The facilitators, teachers, and community organizers who collaborate to implement the SAMARTH project have devised the tools presented in this toolkit. These tools are specifically intended to communicate AB messages to teens and pre-teens. However, this toolkit can also serve as a useful reference for organizations that choose to design their own approaches.

A peer educator uses a flip chart to discuss the modes of HIV transmission at the community center of the SAMARTH/YWCA project at Najafgarh, Delhi. (Photo by Anita Khemka)

The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit 7 Children do a warm-up exercize at the SAMARTH/WAG–CHELSEA project drop-in center in Delhi. (Photo by Sanjay Kumar)

8 The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit Activity A: Draw Along

Type of activity Interactive/discussion Age group 8 to 14 years Recommended number of participants Best for one-to-one interaction, but also fine for groups of as many as 4 children Group type Same-sex Seating arrangement Side-by-side or circular (if in a group) Description This activity is best for shy children who do not often open up in a group. The counselor will encourage a child to communicate through drawing. The process can also be used for a small group that is not dominated by one individual. Objective To help shy children interact with counselors on issues of AB Activity flowchart Give the child a sheet of chart paper and some color pens and ask him to draw another child.

As the child draws, question him about his drawing:

• What is the boy wearing?

• Does he go to school? If not, why?

• What does he do if he does not go to school?

Often, these drawings are autobiographical, so the counselor must pay close attention to what the child is saying.

Talk to the child about the environment in which the boy in the drawing lives, and encourage the child to talk about the good and bad things in that environment.

Next, subtly steer the conversation to the risk of sexual temptation, sexual abuse, STIs, and HIV, and initiate a discussion on what a child can do to prevent these risks.

Use this example as an opportunity to talk about abstinence and being faithful. Suggestions Display the drawing in the common area and use it as an aid in a subsequent group discussion. Credit the artist and praise him before the discussion commences. Do not reveal the circumstances under which it was created.

The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit 9 Activity B: The Board Game See Figure 1 on page 12.

Type of activity Interactive/discussion Age group 8 to 17 Recommended number of participants Group (2 to 6 children only) Group type Either single or mixed gender Seating arrangement In a circle around the board Description This board game was developed by FHI’s Implementing AIDS Preven- tion and CARE (IMPACT) project, and SAMARTH partners have used it effectively for AB messaging. The game is similar to the popular snakes (or chutes) and ladders game. A player throws a die and moves his or her token the requisite number of spaces, to a spot imprinted with a question. The player answers the question, and the judgment of the facilitator and the other players determines whether he or she moves ahead or stays behind. The player or team to reach the end first wins. Objective To examine and evaluate various types of sexual relationships and develop strategies for abstinence and fidelity

Activity flowchart Seat the group around the game board.

If there are more than three children, divide them into teams; other- wise, have them play as individuals.

Ask the first player/team to throw the die and move the game piece across squares dictated by the number on the die.

If the square has a question printed on it, ask the player to answer the question. These questions are subjective. Encourage the desired answer and ask the players to give reasons for their answers. “Correct” answers take the player forward and vice versa. Examples of a question and instructions on a square are:

• Tinu and his friends visit brothels and engage in unprotected sex. Is that safe? If the player answers “yes,” he or she must move the piece two squares backward. If the player answers “no,” he or she must move it two squares forward.

• Tinu finds a friend forcing himself on a girl. He intervenes, makes his friend see sense, and saves the girl. Was that the right thing to do? If the player answers “yes,” he or she may move the game piece forward. If the player answers “no,” he or she must move it backward.

Let other players evaluate and contribute to the answers.

Suggestions This board game should not be repeated within the same session. In subsequent sessions, participants should be encouraged to make up their own questions and place them in front of the opponent. In this scenario, the game is played the same way, but instead of answering the question printed on the square, he or she answers the question posed by the other participant(s).

Notes The game could take a long time to play, so be mindful of some children’s need to return to work.

The purpose of the game is not to complete it, but rather to have ani- mated discussions and promote AB messages subtly in discussions.

10 The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit Figure 1: This board game is used by SAMARTH partners to promote AB messaging.

The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit 11 Figure 2: This flash card, intended for use with pre-teens and teens, shows a picture of an unhappy couple in a disorderly environment fighting over an episode of infidelity.

Figure 3: This flash card, intended for use with pre-teens and teens, shows a picture of a happy and content pregnant woman being looked after by a loving husband in a peaceful environment.

12 The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit Activity C: Flash Cards See Figures 2 and 3 on page 12.

Type of activity Aided discussion

Age group 14 to 17 or older Recommended number of participants One-to-one/group of 3 to 6 Group type Either single or mixed gender Seating Facing or, if more than 2, in a circle

Description This activity involves showing the participants two cards. The first card shows a picture of an unhappy couple in a disorderly environment fighting over an episode of infidelity. The second card shows a picture of a happy and content pregnant woman being looked after by a loving husband in a peaceful environment. Objective To help participants equate sexual fidelity with a happy married life

Activity flowchart Show the “unhappy couple” card and ask the following questions:

• What kind of a family is shown here?

• Why are they unhappy? (Explore the issue of infidelity.)

• Was the unfaithful party coerced into sex with another person?

• If she was coerced, could she have done anything to avoid it?

• Was it a voluntary act?

• Was she tempted? Why? If tempted, what could have been done to fight the temptation? (Discuss the atmosphere at home.)

Encourage participants to explore consequences of infidelity, such as violence, ill health, and unhappiness.

• Does the couple appear healthy? (Mention HIV and STDs.)

• Does the man beat the woman?

• Will they be happy at work?

Now show the “happy couple” card and ask the following questions:

• What kind of a family is shown here?

• Why are they happy? (Explore the issue of fidelity.)

• Are the two faithful to each other?

• How do they manage to remain faithful?

Encourage participants to articulate the benefits of a faithful relationship. Ask:

• What is the atmosphere in the house like?

• Do the two appear healthy?

After both cards have been analyzed, begin a general discussion about strategies that can help couples to remain faithful and lead happier lives.

Suggestion Ask one or more participants to sum up the strategies that support fidelity.

The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit 13 Activity D: Clippings

Type of activity Aided discussion Age group 14 to 17 Recommended number of participants One-to-one, or a group of no more than 6 Group type Either single or mixed gender Seating Facing or, if more than 2, in a circle Description This activity uses a story about HIV clipped from a newspa- per or a magazine as a visual aid to start a discussion on the subject. The article chosen should be short, easily understood, and factual instead of analytical. The article should prompt a discussion, but it is not the subject of the discussion. Objective To help participants equate multiple sexual partnerships with HIV risk Activity flowchart If possible, get someone from the group to read the article aloud. Next, initiate a discussion on HIV and ask:

• Have you heard of HIV?

• How does one get HIV?

Encourage participants to discuss how HIV is transmitted. When unprotected sex is mentioned, steer the conversation to it. Ask:

• What is unprotected sex? (Explore definitions.)

Help steer the conversation to extramarital sex, and explore the consequences of such relationships. Ask:

• Would you like it if your partner were unfaithful? Why or why not?

• What would you fear?

Steer the conversation to STD and HIV. Ask:

• If you love your partner, would you want to give him/her HIV?

• Is temptation/sex worth destroying a happy relationship?

• Is temptation/sex worth harming one’s health?

Help to articulate prevention strategies. Discuss:

• How to abstain from sex with another despite temptation

• How to avoid tempting situations

• How to avoid exploitive situations

• The need to go for medical check-ups

• Ways to lead a healthy life Suggestion Conclude the discussion by asking each participant to sum- marize how abstinence and being faithful are good for both mental and physical health.

14 The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit Activity E: Breaking News

Type of activity Aided discussion Age group 14 to 17 or older Recommended number of participants One-to-one, or a group of no more than 6 Type Either single or mixed gender Seating Facing or, if more than 2, in a circle Description This activity involves using any current news on TV to start a discussion about sexual promiscuity and the dangers of having multiple sexual partners. (The more sensational and dramatic the news is, the more enthusiastic is the involvement.) Objective To help the group appreciate the merits of certain cultural values

Activity flowchart Open the discussion by asking the group if they have been following a certain incident that has been making news. For example, say a girl and her lover have committed suicide, because the girl became pregnant and feared her family’s wrath.

Ask participants who have heard of the incident to explain what happened. Encourage reactions without interfering. Also, explore the kind of reactions the incident is eliciting in the group.

• If they are angry, ask why.

• If they empathize with the girl, ask why.

• If they are indifferent, ask why.

• If they express cynicism, ask why.

Find out why the children feel that the lovers feared the family’s wrath. Ask:

• Was it due to premarital sex?

• Was it because of social taboos?

Encourage the group to articulate alternatives to this action. Ask:

• Should they have abstained until they were older, and should they have agreed to be faithful in the meantime?

• Should they have married after they reached legal age?

• Could they have shared their predicament with a sympathetic elderly rela- tive and sought help?

Encourage the group to associate abstinence and being faithful with a more balanced life. Ask:

• Is it a bad idea to test your love first and then let it grow?

• How could their lives have been different had they abstained?

Suggestion Ask a few participants to speak in behalf of the social values that came up during the discussion.

Examples of breaking news that can be used in this activity:

1. Two men allegedly raped a 28-year-old woman at a guesthouse in central New Delhi.

2. A youth was murdered, and the reason may have involved a love triangle.

3. A girl hangs herself after discovering her pregnancy. Her lover runs away.

The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit 15 Activity F: Create a Story

Type of activity Interactive Age group 14 to 17 Recommended number of participants Group of 3 to 6 children only Group type Either single or mixed gender Seating In a circle Description This activity involves the use of a sequence of illustrated cards that can be linked to create a story about children who run away from home and find themselves trapped in a world of crime and risky sex. Children are encouraged to interpret the cards by themselves and create their own story. Then, they are meant to explore why the story ends the way it does. Objective To identify, understand, and avoid the situations that can lead to casual sex Activity flowchart Divide children into groups and give each group a set of cards. They can all be given the same set or different ones, depend- ing on availability. Give them some time to make up their stories.

Ask each group to present their story. Then initiate a discussion on why the plot unfolds as it does.

An example of a story created using the cards is:

• Raju runs away from home, finds it hard to survive on the streets of a big city, and takes to picking pockets. He falls into some bad company, visits brothels, contracts an STI, and becomes ill.

Ask the group and other participants to suggest ways in which the plot could have been altered to produce happier results:

• Could the result have been different had Raju not taken to picking pockets and had worked in, say, a garage instead?

• Should Raju have been more selective about choosing his friends?

• Would the result have been any different had he practiced abstinence? If so, how would he have done so?

• Would he have been happier at home?

Use questions such as these to emphasize this message: Ab- stinence and fidelity show good sense and judgment.

Suggestion Children who are interested in arts and crafts can make the illustrated cards to be used in this activity in AB message classes.

16 The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit Activity G: Tell a Story

Type of activity Aided discussion Age group 14 to 17 Recommended number of participants Group of 3 to 6 children only Group type Either single or mixed gender Seating In a circle Description In this activity, the facilitator tells a young person’s true story, but preserves his or her anonym- ity. Objective To help the group understand the need to avoid casual sex

Activity flowchart Seat the children in a circle and tell them the story. If one does not come to mind, the following narrative could be used:

• Saira was a 14-year old rag picker known to be flirtatious with several boys. Because of this, her parents decided to take no chances, and they married her off. Despite her marriage to a loving husband, Saira continued to be involved with other boys. This led to frequent fights between the couple. One day, Saira left her husband and eloped with her boyfriend Akash.

Encourage the group to evaluate Saira’s behaviour, and have the children explore whose lives may have been affected by her behavior. Ask them:

• How would her husband have felt?

• How would her parents have felt?

Steer the discussion to the importance of being faithful. Ask:

• Is being faithful important? Why?

• What are the emotional and physical consequences of infidelity?

Use the opportunity to talk about HIV and its consequences.

Suggestion Make sure that the story’s main character is not in the group. Even with names changed, children can recognize the stories of their peers.

The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit 17 Activity H: Participatory Production

Type of activity Interactive Age group 11 to 17 Recommended number of participants Group (any number) Group type Either single or mixed gender Seating N/A Description This activity places a young person in a leadership role to persuade his peers to help to develop a script in a participatory manner. Objective To help the group articulate their interpretation of what abstinence and loyalty really mean, and to help those view- ing the play to understand the AB message Activity flowchart Announce to the children that they will write, direct, and produce a play, and emphasize the fact that a good script is the first prerequisite of a good play.

Have the children democratically elect one child to act as facilitator. Let this child involve his peers in scripting a play, but suggest a few themes to inspire them.

Schedule a time every day when they can all meet and take the script forward. The first few rounds should involve experience sharing. Encourage the more articulate and expressive children to come up with personal experiences or opinions of sexual encounters. Gradually, get the more reticent children to join in, and take notes about their experiences.

The thread of the script will be in these accounts. Examples are:

• I know of a boy in our mohalla (locality) who is a sex addict. He visits the brothel every other day.

• There is an uncle in our colony whom no one likes. He drinks, and when aunty is away, he and his friends have bad women over.

Encourage the children to tie the accounts together to determine whether they can create an interesting script. Always be a passive facilitator, not someone who guides the thought process to ensure that the AB message is clear.

If a single play cannot have both A and B messages, go for two smaller plays and stage them back to back. Link them through theater techniques such as the sutradhar (narrator).

Once a script is ready, encourage the group to choose actors. Advocate the formation of committees that have different responsibilities, such as stage and sets, make-up and costumes, lighting, sound, and publicity.

Try to ensure that the play is produced and staged at a fairly important forum.

18 The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit Being faithful Example of a story line developed in a participatory manner by a group

A married man has a group of bachelor friends given to drinking and having a good time. Once, when his wife is away, he invites his friends over for a “women and wine” party. One of the men who attends the party is not given to such vices.

This wholesome man notices the risky sexual behavior that the men indulge in and decides to help them to see reason. He informs them about the dangers of having sex with multiple partners, but there seems to be little effect. Next, he asks them what they would do if their wives or women were unfaithful to them.

The question elicits strong responses from the men. They claim that they would cut off the relationship immediate- ly or kill their partner or take some other drastic action. The man points out the hypocrisy in their behavior—how they have one set of rules for themselves and another for their partners. The men are suitably ashamed and vow to change their behavior.

The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit 19 A young girl from a rag-picking community begins her work on an early winter morning. (Photo by Anita Khemka)

20 The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit Conclusion

The experiences of facilitators who promote AB messaging across the SAMARTH project show that persuading youngsters to open up on issues of sex and promiscuity requires much ingenuity. Young children often cannot articulate their feelings clearly; older children fear being judged; early teens are wary that their freedom may be curtailed. Also, there is always a risk that these conversations may be reduced to lectures on morality. 4 Implementing agencies tackle this problem in different ways. For example, WAG–CHELSEA uses the Peer Educator Model to spread its messages, because this organization works with children who have fairly stable community attachments and are either HIV-affected or -infected. Peer educators are trained regularly and sent to the field with the necessary knowledge and tools to disseminate the information at a time of their choosing. Youngsters open up better with people of their own age, and an informal, “chatty” style devoid of any lecturing always helps.

Sanjay is eight years old and is one of the youngest peer educators with Salaam Baalak Trust. (Photo by Anita Khemka)

In contrast, SBT works more with street children who are difficult to track. Because of this situation, appointing young people to serve as peer educators and staying in contact with them is hardly feasible. Thus SBT’s focus is to make the most of each meeting with a child, because there is no certainty that a subsequent meeting will take place. Therefore, SBT emphasizes intensive, one-to-one approaches with children.

The YWCA provides safe spaces for children in the form of centers. These centers have a congenial atmosphere that children find attractive. The YWCA finds that advocating AB messages in a center is productive and that children tend to take the messages more seriously.

Regardless of the approach, the SAMARTH project staff recommend: l Whenever possible, choose a one-to-one approach over a group approach. Reticent or shy children rarely open up in groups to reveal what they are thinking.

The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit 21 l When selecting a group with whom to work, try to keep them of the same gender. While any activity can involve girls and boys, children tend to open up more when they are with others of their own gender. l If selecting groups that comprise both boys and girls, make sure that all participants have a level of comfort with one another. l Interactive sessions work better than one-sided discourses. Keep sessions short—no longer than 45 minutes. Children lose interest quickly. l Never moralize and never make the message an end in itself. Create an interesting activity that introduces the message subtly. l Know that despite your best intention, you may not be able to break the ice with a child or group of children. If this happens, let matters rest and try again later using a different approach.

We end with the words of Rekha Sharma, who has been with the YWCA program for several years:

Always talk to children in terms of attraction and relationships, because they understand that and appreciate the fact that you are lending some dignity to their relationships and behavior. Physical intimacy is a conse- quence of their emotions. To a child, sex is almost never an end in itself. Children mistake their sexual attraction for love, and it is important to respect that. Once you get this right, the rest follows.

22 The Preventive Alphabet Toolkit