HIV/AIDS Prevention
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Relat_paginado_final.fh11 1/18/05 11:32 AM Page 1 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K scaling up Youth HIV/AIDS Prevention www.jah.com.br The Experience of Pathfinder International and the Foundation for Community Development in Inhambane Province, Mozambique Technical and Financial Support December 2004 Relat_paginado_final.fh11 1/18/05 11:32 AM Page 13 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Projeto gráfico e diagramação: Jah Comunicação Ltda www.jah.com.br [email protected] Rua Teodoro Sampaio, 417 - cj. 94 Linda Casey Julio Pacca Pinheiros - São Paulo - SP - Brasil Rita Badiani CEP 05405-000 Pathfinder International Mozambique Edição de Arte: Av. do Zimbabwe, 830 Hamilton Dertonio Tel/Fax: 258-1-485473 Maputo, Mozambique Direção de Arte: Copyright: Pathfinder International, 2004 Reginaldo Bianco Relat_paginado_final.fh11 1/18/05 11:32 AM Page 2 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Table of contents Acknowledgements 4 Acronyms 5 1. The Challenge 6 2. The Context: Youth and HIV/AIDS Prevention in Inhambane Province 8 3. Project Management Structure 12 4. Reaching Young People with Information, Life Skills and access to Service 16 Approach and Strategies 16 School-Based Program 21 Out-of-School program 27 Cross Cutting BCC Activities 31 Going Beyond Prevention 35 5. Capacity Building 38 6. Conclusions 42 7. The Way Forward 43 46 Relat_paginado_final.fh11 1/18/05 11:32 AM Page 14 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Acknowledgements Pathfinder International Mozambique wishes to thank all organizations and individuals who provided their inputs, perceptions, ideas, expertise and time to the development of this report about Pathfinder and FDC’s joint effort to expand HIV/AIDS education for prevention among young people in Inhambane Province in Mozambique. We are grateful to the Unidade Directa de Implementação of the Foundation for Community Development (FDC) in Inhambane, especially to Julio da Conceição and Enoque Costa, to the Pathfinder team in Inhambane, Emidio Sebastião, Calisto Linha, Yolanda Francisco and our long-term consultant Aniano Xavier for their tireless efforts to accomplish project objectives and results. Thanks also goes to the Pathfinder Maputo team, Leonardo Guirao, David Sumburane and Julieta Nhantubo for their continuous and invaluable support to assure the level of results attained. We would like to acknowledge FDC’s support for this project under the Kuhluvuka Project with USAID support and the close collaboration of FDC at the central level, in particular the backing of Eduarda Cipriano and Paula Monjane. In Inhambane, our thanks go to the Provincial Education Directorate, the Youth and Sports Directorate, the Health Directorate, the Provincial Aids Nucleus, members of the Kuhluvuka Network, Care International, Goal, and to those members of the community, including parents, who helped us to understand their needs and circumstances. Our deepest gratitude goes to the many young peer educators as well as members of the youth associations who shared their views, understanding, ideas and perspectives with us. We hope that by documenting this experience, we are contributing to generating additional knowledge in the area of education for prevention in sexual and reproductive health for young people and to translating approaches and strategies into actions that better meet the needs of youth. 4 45 Relat_paginado_final.fh11 1/18/05 11:32 AM Page 3 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Acronyms ACUDES Asociação Cultural para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (youth association based in may be another way to strengthen the associations. Inhambane City with chapters in Inhambane Province) In the schools, sustainability may be enhanced if new mechanisms for ensuring greater AJUDINHA Asociação Juvenil para o Desenvolvimento de Inhambane (youth association based and more effective teacher involvement can be encountered in the short term. In the in Inhambane City) long term, as one NGO partner in the province noted, the real need is to work at a policy ANAVIL Asociação dos Naturais e Amigos de Vilankulo (youth association with base in level to ensure the integration of ASRH and HIV/AIDS prevention within school curricula. Vilankulo) Overall, the program has been well received in Inhambane by government counterparts, ASRH Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health by other NGOs, by school communities, and by the youth themselves. A number of BCC Behavior Change Communication participants noted that the challenge now is to keep pushing for more profound impact. CARE American NGO working in Inhambane Province Knowledge levels are high and attitudes and practices are starting to change; it is time CBO Community Based Organization to build on this achievement and take it one step futher - opening channels of CE Community Educator communication between young people and their parents and seeking new ways to move COLMATAR Combater e Eliminar a Discriminação a Portadores de Deficiência (youth association from knowledge to behavior change. Thus, the program has important challenges facing based in Maxixe) it, but the stage is set, and new initiatives can take advantage of the strong momentum DDE District Directorate of Education that has been built. DPE Provincial Directorate of Education DDJD District Directorate of Youth and Sports Key Achievements DPJD Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports DPS Provincial Directorate of Health Peer educators’ own awareness and empowerment has increased. All young people involved in the project, Esh! Escolas Sem HIV (FDC’s “Schools without HIV” Project) from Community Educators to Peer Educators in the schools and communities, reported that they personally FDC Foundation for Community Development benefited from their participation in the project. One CE cited his greater understanding of the problems FP/RH Family Planning and Reproductive Health faced by adolescents - for example, difficulties or barriers in communication between young people and their GB Geração Biz Project parents - and routes to resolve such problems, in this case, via promoting more open dialogue. Beyond the professional growth, however, is personal growth. By being forced to deal with new and different groups GOAL Irish NGO working in Inhambane Province in the community, he feels that he has gained a certain maturity and a new level of psychological development, GOM Government of Mozambique that he is now more able to deal with social problems and life challenges, make decisions and interact with INJAD Inquerito Nacional de Adolescentes e Jovens diverse groups. One out of school activist, a leader in his association, remarked; “Now we have another JHU Johns Hopkins University culture, life itself changes.” School peer educators noted a number of changes in their own personal KAP Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices development as well. Some of their comments included: PLWHA People Living with HIV/AIDS “Now I know how to take care of myself.” PK Kuhluvuka Project, FDC “Now I think more about the future.” STI Sexually Transmitted Infection “I have fewer worries.” UID Unidade de Implementação Directa (Direct Implementation Unit), Kuhluvuka Project, “I am better able to obtain information that I need.” Inhambane “I know now that liking someone is about more than just having sex.” UNFPA United Nations Population Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development VCT Voluntary Counseling and Testing 44 5 Relat_paginado_final.fh11 1/18/05 11:32 AM Page 15 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K 7. the way forward In 2001, the Foundation for Community Development (FDC) T his Youth and HIV Prevention experience is a clear example of how launched a 3-year project to strong programs can be built in a relatively short period of time when they are truly replicating or scaling up experiences that have been proven to be successful elsewhere, combat HIV/AIDS along the using methodologies, materials and expertise gained in similar programs. Where such a possibility exists, strong government support at all levels, a constructive donor- Maputo Corridor in implementor relationship, a flexible and functional project management structure, Mozambique. The Kuhluvuka and clear goals with timelines will round out the preconditions for ensuring success. Project (PK), with support from The seeds have now been sown in Inhambane. The structure, the system and preliminary results that have helped to build momentum all exist. Activities are USAID, facilitates HIV/AIDS prevention, mitigation and care, moving forward smoothly during the transition phase to FDC’s new program, and many expectations have been raised. Continued success will depend on maintaining advocacy, capacity building and research interventions that those approaches that helped to overcome barriers and challenges to implementation, are implemented by national and international NGOs. Under as well as confronting new ones. the umbrella of PK, Pathfinder International and FDC joined As part of its process to develop a new strategic plan to follow up on PK activities in Inhambane and with regard to youth programming, FDC held a workshop with forces in early 2003 to form the Unidade de Implementação both PK and Esh! participants in Inhambane in October of 2004 to explore new strategic directions. FDC seeks an even broader approach that addresses a fuller Directa, or Direct Implementation Unit (UID) for the range of needs expressed by youth. Given the experience of encountering some initial resistance when parents, community or religious leaders feared a heavy focus development of ASRH and youth-oriented HIV/AIDS prevention on condom distribution, combined with the fact that much more can be done to activities in Inhambane Province for a period of 18 months. meet youth’s needs in the province, widening the approach beyond its current ASRH and HIV/AIDS prevention focal point may indeed prove to be valuable in the A third partner, Johns Hopkins University (JHU), provided Inhambane context. additional expertise in strategic planning for communication. Whether the program continues its current focus or succeeds in effectively encompassing a wider range of themes, continued emphasis on work with associations holds much promise.