Youth Peer Education Manual Guide

Youth Peer Education
Manual
A Practical Guide to
Youth Peer Education Programme Implementation
© SASDA

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Youth Peer Education Manual – A Practical Guide
Compiled by
Ngang Carol Chi and Hilda N. Sanguv
Manual
Southern Africa Social Development Agency

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SASDA
Pretoria, South Africa
2011
Manual
A Practical Guide to Youth Peer Education Programme Implementation
 Programme Design Guidelines
 Facilitators’ Guide
 Users’ Reference

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Copyright © 2011
Southern Africa Social Development Agency (SASDA)
All rights reserved. This manual is produced for use by persons training youth peer educators, those who intend to start up a youth peer education programme and by youth peer educators themselves. The manual is subject to updating from time to time as some of the information contained herein may change overtime. That notwithstanding, sections, parts and information contained herein may be freely reproduced for non profit purposes provided SASDA is acknowledged as the source of the information.
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
The manual was made possible with support from the German Cooperation for International Development/Youth Development through Football (GIZ/YDF) programme, South Africa through funding for the Youth for Change Project. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding partner.
To obtain copies of the manual, you can call or write to us at the address indicated below.
Southern Africa Social Development Agency
310 Constantia Building, 291 Andries Street
Pretoria Central 0001, South Africa
Tel/Fax: +27 (0)12 320 2336
E-mail: sasda@sasda-hq.org
Website: www.sasda-hq.org
Legal Status
Non Governmental Organisation – Sect. 21 Reg. No: 2009/005689/08, NPO No: 068-915

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Contents

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Introduction
1. Background _______________________________________________________________ 10
2. Overview _________________________________________________________________ 10
Part 1 - Starting up a Youth Peer Education Programme
1. The Programme in Perspective ________________________________________________ 13
1.1. Defining the programme focus __________________________________________ 13
1.2. Programme implementation ___________________________________________ 15
2. Programme Technicalities ___________________________________________________ 16
2.1. Setting programme indicators ___________________________________________ 16
2.2. Monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment plan _________________________ 16
2.3. Sustainability plan ____________________________________________________ 17
Part 2 - Organising the Training
1. The Facilitation Team ________________________________________________________ 19
1.1. Role of the Facilitator _________________________________________________ 19
1.2. Qualities of a good Facilitator ___________________________________________ 19
2. Facilitation Techniques and Methodologies _______________________________________ 20
2.1. Facilitation techniques ________________________________________________ 20
2.2. Facilitation materials __________________________________________________ 21
2.3. Facilitation methodologies _____________________________________________ 21
3. Planning the Workshop _______________________________________________________ 22
3.1. Selecting the workshop theme __________________________________________ 22
3.2. Recruiting participants ________________________________________________ 23
3.3. Workshop preparations _______________________________________________ 23
4. Facilitating the Workshop _____________________________________________________ 25
4.1. Introduction to the workshop ___________________________________________ 25
4.2. The workshop sessions ________________________________________________ 27
Day 1 – HIV and AIDS _________________________________________________ 28
Day 2 – HIV and AIDS (cont.) ___________________________________________ 38
Day 3 – Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS ________________________________________ 47
Day 4 – Peer education ________________________________________________ 51
Day 5 – Behaviour change ______________________________________________ 59
4.3. Workshop evaluation _________________________________________________ 65
Table of Contents

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4.4. Round up of workshop ________________________________________________ 65
4.5. Workshop report _____________________________________________________ 65
Special Session: Youth leadership ______________________________________________ 66
Part 3 - Youth Peer Educators: Agents for Behaviour Change
1. Mobilising and Organising the Youth for Behaviour Change __________________________ 71
1.1. Meetings with Youth Peer Educators _____________________________________ 71
1.2. Exploiting the power of sports/football ___________________________________ 72
1.3. Focus on girls and young women ________________________________________ 72
1.4. Working with peer groups ______________________________________________ 73
1.5. Youth forums and youth camps __________________________________________ 73
1.6. Outreach and community campaigns _____________________________________ 74
2. Maintaining Standard of the Youth Peer Education Programme _______________________ 74
2.1. Motivation and incentives ______________________________________________ 74
2.2. Code of conduct ______________________________________________________ 74
2.3. Assessment and evaluation _____________________________________________ 75
Part 4 - Experience from the Field
The Youth for Change Project Mamelodi, South Africa_______________________________ 77
1. Background ____________________________________________________________ 77
2. Project concept _________________________________________________________ 78
3. Project description ______________________________________________________ 78
4. Activities and implementation strategies _____________________________________ 78
5. Challenges and lessons learnt ______________________________________________ 81
6. Project partner and stakeholders ___________________________________________ 81
Appendices
Appendix 1 – Sample activity plan format _________________________________________ 83
Appendix 2 – Sample workshop programme ______________________________________ 84
Appendix 3 – Pre and post test questionnaire _____________________________________ 86
Appendix 4 – Sample workshop evaluation form ___________________________________ 88
Appendix 5 – Youth Peer Educators’ worksheet ___________________________________ 90
Appendix 6 – Ice-breakers and energizers ________________________________________ 91
Resources
Resources __________________________________________________________________ 96

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Introduction

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Background
HIV/AIDS in South Africa in particular and the whole of the Southern Africa sub-region in general has a particularly heavy incidence on the youth population. Poor and marginalised groups, especially girls and young women have been known to bear the brunt of the continuum of challenges caused by the pandemic. The high incidence of infection among the youth is reported to be fuelled by several social factors like poverty, unemployment, poor educational system, sexual indulgence, substance abuse, crime and violence to which the youth are most vulnerable. Interventions that not only address HIV/AIDS but also integrate development initiatives have proven successful in stemming the tide to new infections.
The most successful responses to HIV/AIDS and other social challenges have been recorded in the areas of engaging the youth in extra-curricular activities while at the same time bringing HIV/AIDS education to them in a youth friendly manner. As the pandemic continues to spiral and impact on other youth development challenges, the youth themselves constitute the key element to curbing the continuous spread of the virus and the incidence of new infections.
Overview
Purpose of the Manual
Peer education constitutes an important tool in HIV/AIDS prevention and control and in addressing other social ills and vices, especially among the youth. This is so because the youth are most likely to learn about sex and sexuality and other social ills and vices from their peers than they would from other sources.
This manual is therefore prepared to put together relevant knowledge and information that would make it possible to run an effective youth peer education programme, which involves designing the programme, carrying out the training and managing the post training activities. The manual also constitutes a reference guide to facilitators, Youth Peer Educators and NGO staff interested in starting up a youth peer education programme.
The manual is intended for use by Youth Peer Educators, Facilitators and those running or who intend to start up a youth peer education programme. It is informed by the work undertaken by SASDA as captured in the fourth part of the manual entitled “Experience from the Field” which gives an account of the Youth for Change Project that is running in the community of Mamelodi, South Africa. The information gathered from field experience is backed up by research based on secondary
Introduction

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data from other peer education programmes. Users of this manual will gain knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of starting up a youth peer education programme and also develop the skills and techniques necessary for effective and efficient implementation of the programme.
How to use the Manual
This manual can be used by programme managers as a practical tool for programme design, as a practical guide for Facilitators and also as a reference guide to users such as Youth Peer Educators themselves. It gives step by step guidelines on how to design and start up a youth peer education programme as well as offers guidance on managing, assessing and improving on existing ones.
The manual is structured in parts. It begins with an introductory section, is further divided into four parts, which takes the user through a systematic step by step process of starting up a youth peer education programme, organising the training of Youth Peer Educators, running the post training activities and records the experience of the Youth for Change Project as best practice approach and concludes with an appendix and acknowledgement of useful resources that were consulted in compiling the manual. The manual contains in-built handouts to be given to participants during the training. It also describes how the programme can be monitored, evaluated and assessed for impact and most importantly how it can be sustained.
The manual however, is not a stereo-typical prescription on how best to start up and run a youth peer education programme. The tips contained herein are merely practical guidelines, which can be modified in different situations depending on the circumstances and the external factors. The manual focuses principally on HIV/AIDS prevention but could also be adapted to address other youth development challenges like crime, violence and substance abuse.
© SASDA

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Part 1
Starting up a Youth Peer Education Programme

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Starting up a Youth Peer Education Programme
1. The Programme in Perspective
1.1. Defining the Programme Scope
Programme goal: The goal of any youth peer education programme should seek to address youth development challenges in a holistic and integrated manner and to reach out to the wider youth population within every community with the aim of creating positive behaviour change. Peer education is particularly relevant in addressing the high prevalence of HIV infection among the youth but there are other youth development challenges such as crime and violence, substance abuse, sexual offences, poverty and peer pressure, which constitute vulnerability factors that expose the youth to HIV infection. The youthful years play a crucial role in forming life long habits and attitudes and in shaping behaviour patterns. Without guidance the youth tend to learn the wrong things and are particularly susceptible to fall through the cracks in the development process.
In establishing a youth peer education programme emphasis should be laid on:
 Addressing not only HIV/AIDS but also other youth development challenges.
 Empowering girls and young women because they are more vulnerable to HIV infection and other challenges than their male counterparts.
 Aligning the programme with national youth development policy guidelines where such policy guidelines are available and applicable.
A youth peer education programme, properly designed and implemented has the potential to become a tool for youth development through sustained behaviour change at individual level and by stimulating collective actions that contribute to social change at community level.
Target groups: The programme should target youth in schools as well as those out of school. For youth in school it is fairly convenient to reach out to them at school but for those out of school, the most convenient places where they could be reached are the church and social youth groupings around the community. Statistics indicate that the youth participate in church and sporting activities more than any other. Therefore churches and sport clubs provide a suitable place where they could readily be reached. Most churches have functional youth groups where a youth peer education programme could easily be established and run at minimal cost. Sporting clubs also have the characteristic of discipline and proper organisation, which makes them suitable for establishing a peer education programme.
Part - 1

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Strategically, a youth peer education programme that mainstreams gender and is designed to address the needs of vulnerable and minority groups such as girls and young women and youth with disabilities is most likely to attract stakeholder and donor support.
Stakeholders: Identifying the right stakeholders is crucial to the success and sustainability of the programme. It is important to enlist stakeholder support and to get them involved early enough in the programme design phase in order that their concerns, needs, and priorities are addressed. This would enable the programme to capitalize on their potential collaboration and support in terms of financial, material and human resources contributions.
Consultations with stakeholders and target groups: A programme that is likely to gain ownership by its beneficiaries and therefore ensure sustainability is one that is designed with the participation of the principal target groups and stakeholders. Before starting off the programme it is essential to consult the target groups to understand their priorities and also to engage them actively so that activities are planned to address their specific concerns.
Most communities are very sensitive to the kind of information and knowledge that the youth are exposed to. It is obviously important to consult stakeholders such as parents, teachers, community leaders, social workers, spiritual leaders and local authorities to explain about the programme and how it will be beneficial to the youth. This will help to gain their support, which to some extent will guarantee successful implementation.
Setting programme objectives: Objectives describe the change that the programme intends to bring about so that activities can be planned accordingly. Objectives are used to focus the work and to measure progress. In establishing a youth peer education programme it is important to set objectives at a technical as well as practical level.
At a technical level objectives should be:
 Specific: What exactly is expected to change for the youth (e.g. behaviour, attitudes, and practices?) What proportion of the youth population is going to be affected and in what geographical area? Is the change going to increase the situation or reduce it?
 Measurable or can be monitored: There should be some means of demonstrating - qualitatively or quantitatively that the expected change has taken place.
 Achievable: Objectives should be achievable, given the resources and organisational capacity available, in context and under prevailing conditions.
 Relevant or realistic: Objectives should be relevant or realistic to the context and perceptions of the youth population and the entire community.
 Time-bound: The change should be expected to take place within a specified period.
At a practical level objectives should seek to:
 Engage the youth in school as well as those out of school.

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 Address major social issues that impact on their development at individual as well as at community level.
 Reach out to the wider youth population within every target community.
 Mobilise Youth Peer Educators and their peers to make informed, well considered and practical decisions about the choices they make in life, so as to adopt behaviours that lead to improved personal health, well-being and development.
 Reach beyond the limits of youth circles wherever possible to make a positive impact on the behavioural and social patterns of the community-at-large.
 Build capacity within schools, youth groups and communities to ensure sustainability of the programme.
Resource in-put: Every social development intervention needs certain basic resources for effective implementation. Resource considerations entail looking at what is needed in terms of man power, material and financial input in order for the programme to be implemented. Human and material resources can most often be mobilized internally, for example through getting participants and members of the community to volunteer to do most of the work. They could also make in kind contributions like offering free venues for workshops. If this is possible, it will make the running of the programme highly cost effective.
Otherwise, if the programme will have to rely on external funding, then this should be determined from the beginning where and how to source the funding. This will require drawing up a good proposal and a budget that is relevant to the programme activities. The proposal should outline the activities that you plan to carry out while the budget should indicate the financial projections relating to the activities within a specified period.
1.2. Programme Implementation
With the understanding that a youth peer education programme has as ultimate goal to cause positive attitude and behaviour change among the wider youth population within any target community, the programme is better implemented by not only training Youth Peer Educators but also organising post training activities to ensure that the programme creates the desired impact.
Training: To be effective the training of Youth Peer Educators requires a minimum of five days and ideally should involve between 20 to 25 participants per workshop. Otherwise the number of participants per workshop should depend on the specific targets the programme aims to achieve. The workshops should be planned to include practical exercises, small group discussions, demonstrations and role plays. The role of the facilitator is crucial, in ensuring that participants gain a maximum of practical skills rather than just assimilating knowledge and information on the workshop themes.
Consideration should be given to training focal persons as well, whose role would be to coordinate the programme in their respective circumstances. If the programme is carried in a school for example, it is important to have two teachers trained as focal persons to coordinate the activities of the Peer Educators in the school.

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Post-training: If the programme seeks to reach out to the wider youth population within a target community with the aim to bring about positive attitude and behaviour change then it would not suffice to simply bring participants in a workshop and empower them with the knowledge and skills necessary for becoming a Peer Educator. Young people are often less experienced in the tasks they would be expected to carry out as Peer Educators. Therefore, if the programme must create the desired impact, it requires much more than just the training.
A mechanism for ensuring that impact is created must be put in place. Such a mechanism might not be unique in all situations but as a minimum requirement the programme should:
 Provide the opportunity for Youth Peer Educators to actually engage with their peers.
 Establish a forum for them to meet regularly, to discuss challenges, map out new strategies and refresh knowledge on principal issues.
 Enable participants do outreach activities and community service as a demonstration of leadership and contribution to the development of (giving back to) their communities.
 Document best practices for scale-up or replication in other places.
2. Programme Technicalities
2.1. Setting Programme Indicators
Indicators are milestones that help to determine progress in achieving intended goals and objectives. It is appropriate to set quantitative as well as qualitative indicators. For example;
 Number of Youth Peer Educators trained and percentage thereof that are girls (quantitative.)
 Behaviour change recorded among the youth as a result of the programme (qualitative.)
Setting good and measurable indicators at programme inception makes it easy for data collection tools to be designed to capture the necessary data.
2.2. Monitoring, Evaluation (M&E) and Impact Assessment Plan
Good programming invariably translates to optimal utilization and control of scarce resources for maximum output. This can hardly be done without an efficient system by which results can be measured. Hence, the effectiveness of a youth peer education programme in achieving set objectives and in reaching target goals will depend to a large extent on an effective M&E system to track the implementation process.
Monitoring: Monitoring involves collecting data on a daily basis to keep track of the day to day programme activities. Data collection tools should therefore be designed to capture accurate, reliable and realistic information about the programme activities as well as the participants. If the programme has specific targets that it sets out to achieve, for example, age range, number of girls and number of boys, proportion of participants that have a disability, then the data collection tools must be designed to capture such information. This will help to determine how differently the programme impacts on the participants.

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Evaluation: The M&E systems should also make provision for evaluating the entire programme or particular activities to measure their effectiveness or efficiency in achieving the programme goal and objectives. While monitoring looks at what is being done evaluation examines what has been achieved. The results of the evaluation will help to determine whether the programme was worth implementing or if it is necessary to continue with its implementation. This could be done periodically, say quarterly, mid-termly or annually.
The M&E system should clearly determine the following:
 What information or data to collect.
 How the information or data will be collected, compiled and analyzed.
 How the information or data will be stored and how it will be used.
Impact assessment: The level of impact created by the programme can hardly be measured. However, carrying out an impact assessment will help to determine the extent to which the programme contributes to the overall general change that may happen in the community at large. It may also help to determine the value of the human, material and financial resources invested in the programme. Some donors may require an external evaluation of the programme in order to be sure that the result of the exercise is efficient, realistic and reliable. This can be done using focus group discussion techniques or structured interviews and can take place at two levels:
 Programme participants: Participants may be consulted in the course of or at the programme phase out to determine what impact or change has happened in their lives as a result of the programme activities.
 Community and stakeholders: The consultation may also be taken to community members and leaders and important stakeholders to sample their opinion on what they judge could have changed or improved in the community as a result of the programme activities.
2.3. Sustainability Plan
In establishing a youth peer education programme consideration should be made to ensure that it is as cost effective as reasonably possible. When established in a school or a functional youth group within the community the programme can be sustained at little cost depending on the motivation of the actors involved. A youth peer education programme that is school-based would normally not require the establishment and maintenance of separate structures for implementation. In the same way, one that is implemented as part of a functional youth group or an established youth programme would normally not require additional structures and facilities to vehicle its implementation.
The programme should aim to build the capacity of the youth and members of the community so that acquired skills, attitudes and behaviours can be sustained. It should also ensure adequate skills transfer to enable participants, teachers, youth group leaders, and peer group members to utilize the knowledge and skills acquired for the benefit of the entire community.

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Part 2
Organising the Training

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Organising the Training
The following questions should be borne in mind when organising training of Youth Peer Educators:
 Who will do the training?
 Where will the training take place?
 When is the training going to be done?
 How is the training going to be done?
 What logistics are required for the training to be carried out?
1. The Facilitation Team
The training of Youth Peer Educators should ideally be co-facilitated by a team of two Facilitators; a main Facilitator and an assistant, who can bring different perspectives and skills to support each other. The assistant helps in organizing the workshop, taking care of logistics, time management and note taking. The main Facilitator moderates the discussions and manages the workshop activities and exercises. Gender should also be taken into consideration when putting a facilitation team together. This has a positive impact in creating gender dynamics among the participants.
The facilitation team should meet and plan prior to the training and get to know each other’s specific knowledge areas, skills and facilitation styles. If the team does not have all the relevant knowledge they might decide to invite an additional resource person (a guest speaker) to give input on specific issues such as, sexuality and reproductive health or gender equality.
1.1. Role of the Facilitator
It is important to note that the Facilitator is not an instructor to dish out instructions on how to become a Peer Educator. The Facilitator does not teach but facilitates. To facilitate means to make it easy for workshop participants to find answers to their own questions or solutions to their own problems. The Facilitator therefore needs some special skills to be able to do this. The Facilitator’s role is to create a convenient environment for knowledge and information exchange, to encourage open discussion and to enable participants to develop the skills necessary for becoming effective Youth Peer Educators. In a nut shell, the role of the Facilitator is to moderate discussions rather than teach participants what they need to learn. What therefore, makes a good Facilitator?
1.2. Qualities of a Good Facilitator
Knowledge about the subject matter
Part - 2

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 The Facilitator must have first hand knowledge of the workshop themes and other related topics so as to be able to meet the expectations of the participants.
 The Facilitator must have enthusiasm for the subject matter and the capacity to present it in an interesting way so as to encourage participation.
Attitude
 A warm personality, with the ability to show approval and acceptance towards participants.
 A manner that encourages participants to share their ideas and skills.
Skills
 The skill to engage participants in a participatory manner.
 Strong organisational skills that maximize the use of resources.
 The ability to manage time effectively for maximum output.
 Good social skills, with the ability to create group cohesion and maintain control without causing ill feelings among participants.
 Have excellent interpersonal communication skills
2. Facilitation Techniques and Methodologies
2.1. Facilitation Techniques
Communication:
Communication is a key element in facilitating a workshop. The manner in which knowledge and information is transmitted is very important to the receiver of such knowledge or information. In order to be effective, communication needs to be:
 Assertive, which is demonstrated by use of body language such as: maintaining direct eye contact, an upright posture, facial expressions and gestures to add emphasis to words.
 Enthusiastic, calm and confident.
 Clear and audible.
 Non judgmental.
Listening skills
 Active listening, which involves acknowledging others when they are speaking. This does not only indicate interest in what the person is saying but also encourages the person talking.
 Attention to verbal as well as non verbal expression will enable the Facilitator to pick out not only the spoken word but also the emotions.
Questioning skills
 The Facilitator should encourage two-way communication, for example by asking questions like; “what have you learnt from this workshop?” Such a question would obviously bring diverse answers from the participants.

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 Asking open-ended rather than closed questions creates an atmosphere for discussion. Closed questions are usually answered by a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ whilst open-ended questions are those that require a thoughtful and explicit answer. Open-ended questions often start with ‘who,’ ‘what,’ ‘when,’ ‘how.’ Closed questions on the other hand usually begin with ‘are you,’ ‘do you’ etc.
 Asking probing and challenging questions help to stimulate discussions and therefore enable participants to express different views on a particular issue.
 Asking questions about personal views, feelings and attitudes like “what do you think” “what is your opinion about…” “how do you feel about …?”
 Asking for feedback, for example, “what do you understand by this?”
Involvement and participation: The essence of facilitating a workshop is to ensure that participants gain knowledge and skills or that such knowledge and skills are adequately transferred to the participants. To achieve this, requires the active involvement and participation of the participants. Good facilitation therefore, is one that engages workshop participants in a practical way and enables each one of them to make a contribution to the discussions or in finding solutions to the issues at stake. The Facilitator should have the ability to moderate dominant participants so that they do not overshadow the timid ones.
2.2. Facilitation Materials
The choice of material to use for facilitating the workshop may be determined by the venue of the workshop, by the relevance of the chosen material for efficient output and also by availability of the material. Materials that are commonly available (even on hire) and may be used include:
 Flip charts
 Cardboard papers
 Projector and accessories like computer or laptop, speakers, CD/DVDs
 Manual and handouts
2.3. Facilitation Methodologies
The facilitation methodologies chosen must seek to encourage participation, knowledge and skills transfer. These methodologies need to be communicated to participants so that they are aware of the part they will be expected to play during the workshop. The following methodologies are commonly used in facilitating workshops of the type of training Youth Peer Educators;
Use of ice-breakers: Traditionally workshops have been known to start with an icebreaker. It is not a routine though but an ideal way by which to get participants in the mode for the workshop. Icebreakers may be used not only at the beginning but also in the course of the workshop to re-activate or spur participants up when they are feeling exhausted or bored. The choice of the ice-breaker depends on the Facilitator. Otherwise he or she may ask any of the participants to do the ice-breaker. Interspersing workshop sessions with ice-breakers help to bring new energy and vitality to the participants.

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Plenary discussions: For sessions that introduce a new topic it might be appropriate to get participants into a plenary discussion to get a diversification of views and opinions, which enables a broad understanding of the topic or issue under discussion.
Visual aid presentations Parts of the workshop may require a visual aid presentation using power point, posters and/or video shows after which, participants are asked to discuss on the issues. The use of visual aid is very strategic in facilitating workshops involving the youth because it gets them excited and involved and stimulates lots of discussions.
Sketches and role play: A sketch or role play is a short presentation performed by participants based on life experiences and seeks to bring to life circumstances that may not be too familiar to them. It involves acting out a scenario with the aim to bring a clearer or better understanding of a situation and to enable the audience to have a real-life perception of the issue. Much of the role playing is improvised and not scripted.
Group activities: Small group discussions and activities help to get all participants involved, especially those who fail to feature actively during a plenary session. Small groups should compose of at least 4 and not more than 6 participants and they may be required to discuss on a particular topic, do an exercise or practice a particular skill or technique. After the session a participant from each of the small groups should be asked to present what the group was doing to the plenary session.
Guest speaker: It might also be very appropriate to invite a guest speaker to give a talk on a topic that is of a technical nature or one that the facilitator does not have sufficient knowledge about. Guest speakers may be invited to talk on youth sensitive issues such as sex and sexuality, sexually transmitted infections, reproductive health, teen-age pregnancy or substance abuse. Inviting a guest speaker in some cases might be a little costly as some guest speakers would require to be paid but if it is very necessary, it is good to get one.
3. Planning the Workshop
3.1. Selecting the Workshop Themes
Selecting appropriate themes is important so that the purpose of the workshop becomes relevant in addressing the youth development challenges in context. A continuum of social issues are crucial to the development of the youth but are neither taught in school nor included in school curricula. Most often the youth do not only learn about these issues from their peers but they learn the wrong things and learn them the wrong way. When this is properly planned and carried out, it becomes coordinated, productive and beneficial to the youth. Workshop themes targeting the youth should therefore cover the range of issues including HIV/AIDS, peer pressure, substance abuse, crime and violence, sexuality and reproductive health, gender equality, self esteem, youth leadership, mentoring and coaching. The choice of workshop themes may not be unique in all contexts but should rather be determined by the problem that the programme seeks to address.

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3.2. Recruiting Participants
Target groups: The training should be organised to target the youth in the age categories of 10 - 12, 13 - 18 and 19 - 24. This is necessary because the level of understanding and perception of social issues varies according to these age groupings. Target participants should be those who possess the qualities to become Youth Peer Educators. Gender is an important factor to take into consideration in the selection of participants but emphasis should be on girls and young women because they are most vulnerable than their male counterparts.
It is also important to consider the selection of focal persons (teachers in the case of youth in school and youth leaders in the case of youth out of school) to be trained to coordinate the peer education initiative in their different contexts.
Criteria for selection of participants for the training
 Communication skills: Suitable participants are those who have good interpersonal communication skills and the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.
 Passion for behaviour change: They should be strongly motivated to work towards behaviour change among the youth.
 Similar characteristics with their peers: They should have similar characteristics (age group, sex or social interaction) with the target peers they will be working with.
 Recognition: They should be accepted and respected by the target group (their peers).
 Non-judgmental: They should have a non-judgmental attitude; demonstrate sensitivity, care, compassion and respect, especially for those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.
 Leadership: They should be self-confident and show potential for leadership. They should have the potential to be role models to their peers.
 Commitment: They should have the passion and commitment to share knowledge and information with their peers as well as to serve the entire community after the training.
 Know-how: They should demonstrate the competence to acquire knowledge and skills and to use such knowledge and skills to the benefit of their peers and the community.
Factors that keep Youth Peer Educators motivated
 Desire to help other youths stay away from the risk of HIV infection and also from other social ills and vices.
 Proper understanding of the social challenges affecting the youth such as HIV/AIDS, crime and violence and substance abuse.
 Desire to acquire more knowledge/skills relating to these challenges.
 Recognition and acknowledgement of their role as peer educators.
 Incentives and motivation.
3.3. Workshop Preparations
The success of the training will depend on how early the planning takes place. Workshop planning should commence at least a month before the workshop. The Facilitator or workshop organiser needs to develop a schedule and checklist in time to guide the preparation process.

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Workshop schedule (activity plan): The workshop schedule (appendix 1) indicates specific tasks to be undertaken, persons responsible and datelines for performing them. The activities need to be planned systematically and chronologically; beginning with what needs to be done first. The following reminders are useful:
 Determine and confirm dates for the workshop with all persons concerned.
 If the workshop targets youths in school, they should be organised to take place after school hours, so as not to interfere with regular classes and school activities.
 Three sessions are recommended per day with brief intervals for refreshment and relaxation.
 It is preferable to schedule lessons to start with what the participants know and then proceed to what they do not know.
 As much as possible, avoid to mix up topics during sessions
 The facilitator should not allow participants to detract or derail from the topic of discussion however interesting the distraction may be.
Workshop checklist: It is important for the facilitator to have a workshop checklist to ensure adequate preparation and readiness. The checklist serves as a reminder of all logistical requirements. These include:
 Budget: The budget gives an estimate of how much you will need to organise the workshop. Ensure that everything that is needed is properly budgeted for and approval obtained from management.
 Venue: Select a convenient and accessible venue. Book and visit the venue in considerable time to ensure it is conducive enough for the workshop. Reconfirm availability at least a week before the workshop. Check to see that all necessary systems and facilities like electricity and toilets are operational and that there is proper ventilation.
 Equipment: Ensure that all the needed equipment is available and in good working condition. This could include: flipchart, TV set, video player, recorder and tapes (if necessary), lap top/computer and overhead projector (if needed), camera, etc.
 Resource materials: If provision is made for, ensure that the necessary resource materials are available for participants: the workshop programme, manuals, file jackets or portable bags containing all documents. Ensure that enough copies of all relevant materials like attendance registers, handouts and evaluation forms are prepared and available.
 Stationery: Make sure you have the necessary stationery for the training: bold markers or any other appropriate writing material, pens/pencils, rulers, staplers, paper punch (if needed), cello tape, pair of scissors, glue, notebooks, posters, brochures if they would be required for the training, name tags/labels with names of participants clearly printed out.
 Workshop programme: A detail printed out programme (appendix 2) is very essential in order to ensure that participants are informed of all the topics to be covered and clear timelines allocated to each session. The programme should also indicate allocation of tasks and responsibilities and should serve as guide to the facilitating team.
 Transportation: Adequate transport arrangements should be made to get participants to and from the workshop venue. If itinerary to the venue is required, ensure that participants get it at least a week before the workshop date. If participants will be reimbursed their transport fares, arrangements should be made for that as well.

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 Food/Refreshment: It might be convenient to arrange with a catering service to provide food/refreshment. The arrangement should depend on whether the workshop takes a full day or a few hours per day. It might also be necessary to give consideration to the special dietary needs of some of the participants. When budgeting for this item it is recommended to work out the calculations per individual and the number of days for the workshop, including facilitators and any other persons that may me available to assist.
 Language: Language is a very important tool for communication. As such the language preference for the workshop should be one that the participants are comfortable with.
 Facilitation: Co-facilitation is encouraged but as much as possible use only two people. Co-facilitators should meet before the workshop to share out tasks.
 Seating Arrangements: Seating arrangement should be done in such a way as to encourage interaction and participation. The traditional classroom concept of pupil or student/teacher approach should be avoided. Seating should be arranged in a semi-circle or round table style, especially during plenary sessions.
4. Facilitating the Workshop
4.1. Introduction to the Workshop
Starting a workshop session: There is no stereotype way to start a workshop session. A session can be started in several different ways depending on the choice of the facilitator. However, it has been traditional to kick start a session with an ice-breaker. The facilitator may decide to engage participants in a game, which is great to get participants laughing and relaxed; with a puzzle to rekindle participants’ memories; or better still with a song to get participants joyful and excited. At other times, it could be through relevant exercises to get participants out of boredom and fatigue. Whatever the methodology, the facilitator should ensure to use an exercise that is easy to understand, that keeps participants in a comfortable and relaxed mood and should be able to get participants alert and involved throughout the session. Every session should be a combination of listening, speaking, seeing and doing.
Setting ground rules: Allowing participants to come up with what they feel should be the guiding rules will help to maintain order and discipline during the workshop. It is obvious that disturbances and disruptions might consume valuable time. The Co-facilitator may therefore, have to take the responsibility to ensure that the ground rules are respected so that time is properly managed.

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Participants’ expectations: Get participants to express what they expect to learn or the knowledge and skills they expect to acquire by the end of the workshop. It should be noted that the Facilitator’s duty is not to express these expectations or fears but to enable participants bring them out. In that way they will be able to do a self assessment to determine if they achieve anything from the workshop. The Facilitator can use pointers to enable participants express these expectations and fears.
Nature of the workshop: The Facilitator should inform participants how the workshop will be conducted so that they are well formulated on the level of their participation and what knowledge and skills they should expect to gain. Since the focus is to train Youth Peer Educators as a means to reach out to the wider youth population at school and in the community the facilitator should ensure that the workshop is organised to enable adequate knowledge and skills transfer. This should include the use of plenary discussions, presentations (power point, video documentaries/movie shows and practical exercises.)
Objectives of the training: The Facilitator should get participants to define the objectives of the workshop, which obviously is to train youth peer educators in order that they may in turn reach out to the wider youth population with knowledge and information about HIV and AIDS and related issues.
It is envisaged that by the end of the training participants should be able to;
 Explain what HIV/AIDS is, how it is spread and how it can be prevented.
 Explore the meaning of peer education the role and responsibilities of a youth peer educator and the importance of peer education for HIV/AIDS prevention.
 Identify risk factors to which the youth are exposed and understand the behaviour change process.
 Develop plans and strategies to disseminate knowledge and information acquired during the workshop to members of their peer groups.
1. Avoiding unnecessary interruptions.
2. Respecting each other’s points of view.
3. Ensuring proper time management (this might entail appointing a time keeper or better still having the co-facilitator to manage the time.)
4. Switching off/silencing phones to avoid distractions.
5. Avoiding disturbances during the workshop (unnecessary murmuring, etc.)
6. Avoiding deviating from issues being discussed.
7. Avoiding unnecessary movements in and out of the training room without permission.
Basic Ground Rules

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4.2. The Workshop Sessions
The training of Youth Peer Educators ideally takes five days. It is therefore appropriate to schedule the workshop themes and topics to cover the number of days. Time allocation for the various sessions may vary depending on whether daily sessions cover a full day or a few hours. The Facilitator will have the responsibility to determine the time allocation per session according to the amount of time available. Time management is very important if all the topics for the workshop must be covered. The sessions may be distributed as follows:
Day 1 – HIV and AIDS
 Session 1 – Opening session
 Session 2 – Workshop objectives
 Session 3 – Basic knowledge about HIV and AIDS
Day 2 – HIV and AIDS (cont.)
 Session 2 – Recap of day 1 activities
 Session 3 – Basic knowledge about HIV/AIDS (cont.)
Day 3 – Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS
 Session 3 – Vulnerability of the youth to HIV infection
Day 4 – Peer Education
 Session 3 – Peer education
Behaviour Change
 Session 3 – Behaviour change
©UNICEF Zimbabwe, 2008

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Workshop theme for the day HIV and AIDS Topics 1. Defining HIV and AIDS 2. The immune system and HIV/AIDS 3. Impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic
Learning objectives
1. Enable participants gain basic knowledge about HIV and AIDS. 2. Get participants to understand the impact caused by the pandemic. Facilitation methodologies
1. Plenary discussions
2. Presentations
3. Role play Materials 1. Flipchart & markers 2. Audio/visual equipment 3. Posters 4. Handouts
Knowledge and skills to be acquired
By the end of the day participants will: 1. Gain full knowledge about HIV and AIDS 2. Understand and be able to explain how the immune system functions and how it can be attacked by HIV. 3. Be able to appreciate to impact caused by the pandemic and how they can become affected by it.
Session 1 - Opening Session
 Arrival of participants: The facilitation team engages participants in informal discussions as they arrive in order to create an atmosphere of familiarity.
 Pre-workshop test: It might be necessary to assess participant’s entry knowledge, skills and attitudes on the workshop themes in which case, the questionnaire are handed out and participants get to answer them while getting prepared for the workshop to start.
 Identification: Participants are required to put on name tags for easy identification and interpersonal relationship. They are also required to sign the attendance register.
 Welcome address: The welcome address can be done by the facilitator or any other key staff like the Programme Coordinator. A brief introduction is made about the organisation and funding partners (if applicable), a brief description of the programme and specifically about the training or workshop.
 Self introduction: Participants as well as the facilitation team introduce themselves and get to know each other. Calling participants by name helps to establish a cordial bond with the Facilitator and therefore a convenient atmosphere for participation and interaction in the course of the workshop.
Theme: HIV and AIDS
DAY 1

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Session 2 - Workshop Objectives
Participants discuss the objectives of the workshop, their expectations and how the expectations would be met or how meeting those expectations might be hindered.
Tips to the Facilitator
 Participants get seated in a semi-circle so that they feel equal.
 The Facilitator introduces the session and asks participants to explain the purpose of the workshop and what they expect to achieve from it. The Facilitator may put the question as such; “why are you here?” or “what are you expecting from this workshop? Participants are given a chance to respond while the Facilitator notes their responses on the flip chart.
 The Facilitator should the go further to clarify issues by addressing participants’ fears or doubts, provide information on areas of concern and note areas that require emphasis or follow-up.
 Review the workshop objectives with participants.
 Lead participants to identify indicators that will show that the objectives are being met.
Session 3 – Basic Knowledge about HIV and AIDS
 Discussions on this theme should take place in the plenary session.
 Participants discuss briefly what they know about HIV and AIDS.
 The Facilitator notes down the points on flip-chart or can ask participants to do so.
 After the discussion the Facilitator makes presentation about HIV and AIDS, synchronizing ideas raised by participants.
 The relevant handouts are given out to participants in the course of the presentation.
Presentation by Facilitator
Topic 1: Defining HIV and AIDS
The Facilitator makes presentation on the definition of HIV and AIDS, differentiates between HIV and AIDS and the structure of the virus.
1. To train participants to become Youth Peer Educators.
2. To equip them with knowledge and life skills about HIV/AIDS and other social ills and vices.
3. To enable them reach out to other youth and members of the community as agents of change, with the aim to bring about positive attitude and behaviour change.
Workshop Objectives

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 The Facilitator writes the word “HIV” on a flip chart and asks participants to explain the full form and meaning. The responses are noted on the chart.
 Next, the word “AIDS” is written on the chart, participants are asked to explain the full form and meaning and the responses are also noted on the chart.
 Allow discussions on the responses.
 Ask participants to differentiate between HIV and AIDS and why it is important to make this distinction.
 Ask the participants why it is important to learn about HIV/AIDS. Explain the five important reasons why we need to learn about HIV/AIDS:
 It is a dangerous disease and there is no cure or vaccine.
 To fight against the social stigma and discrimination attached to the disease.
 The disease can be transmitted to others.
 It affects most of the economically active population, especially the youth.
 It kills.

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HIV and AIDS
Defining HIV and AIDS
HIV = Human Immune-deficiency Virus
 HIV means Human Immune-deficiency Virus.
 HIV is a virus. It is also called the AIDS virus.
 It is called “human” because it only attacks human beings - it can only live in human body fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk.
 It is “immune-deficiency” because when it attacks the body it destroys the immune system.
 The virus is so tiny that it cannot be seen with the naked eye. It cannot be destroyed easily.
 HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.
AIDS = Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
 AIDS means Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
 It is “acquired” because one can only get it from another person.
 It is a “syndrome” because it is a combination of different diseases that attack the body as a result of a weakened immune system.
 When a person gets infected with HIV he/she looks and feels healthy and can carry out all normal day-to-day activities.
 As the virus starts to multiply it makes the immune system weak and not able to function well. The body is then exposed to all kinds of diseases like diarrhea, cancer, tuberculosis.
Differentiating between HIV and AIDS
 HIV is a virus while AIDS is a disease or a combination of diseases caused by the virus.
 One can have HIV without having AIDS but a person cannot have AIDS without having HIV.
 HIV has no signs or symptoms; meanwhile AIDS exhibits signs and symptoms.
 With HIV one can live a normal healthy life; meanwhile with AIDS one becomes sick and needs care, support and treatment.
 HIV has no cure or treatment. AIDS can be treated with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).
N/B: The AIDS virus is not a disease. The virus destroys the immune system and so the body becomes exposed to any disease, which takes advantage of the weakened immune system. A person may die of such opportunistic diseases and not the virus. A person may have HIV and it does not develop into AIDS but that person may transmit it to another and that other person develops AIDS and dies.
Handout

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HIV and AIDS
Structure of the AIDS Virus
N/B: A person that is infected with HIV would have millions of the virus like in a single jot of blood
Source: Russell Kightley Media: http://www.rkm.com.au/imagelibrary/index.html
Handout

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Topic 2: The Immune System and HIV/AIDS
 What is the immune system? Use the analogy of “body guards” or “soldiers” to explain the function of the immune system. This makes it easier for the participants to understand what the immune system is and how it functions.
 How HIV attacks the immune system: Get participants to do a role play on how HIV attacks and destroys the immune system. They may first have to demonstrate how the immune system (white blood cells) protects the body from other diseases like diarrhea, cough, etc and how when HIV attacks it is able to destroy the white blood cells.
 Signs and symptoms of HIV/AIDS. Ask participants to name the common signs and symptoms of AIDS. It is good to emphasise that HIV does not have any signs or symptoms.
©Swaziland Hospice at Home, 2001
Our body is normally protected by white blood cells
Strong diseases can make us sick during the fight but the white blood cells usually win in the end
White blood cells fight diseases that come to attack our body
HIV is a very powerful virus. When it gets into our body it attacks our white blood cells
After a long fight HIV makes our white blood cells weak. Our body then has very little protection
Without white blood cells our body is exposed to all kinds of diseases that can attack and kill us

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HIV and AIDS
The Immune System and HIV/AIDS
What is the immune system?
The immune system is the protective or defense system (the army) of the body. It is called a system because it is made up of cells that protect the body from disease.
How the immune system functions and how it can be infected by HIV
 Our body is generally protected from infection and diseases by white blood cells that are present in our blood. The white blood cells are the “defense soldiers” of our body.
 When ever we are exposed to infections like diarrhoea, flu or other infections, the white blood cells attack the bacteria that cause these infections and kill them and therefore defend our bodies from the infections.
 However, when HIV enters our body, it attacks the white blood cells, which are the defense “soldiers” of the body.
 After the defense “soldiers” (white blood cells) are destroyed they can no longer protect the body
 For example, if a healthy person is attacked by flu the person becomes well after some days, but if a person that is infected with HIV is attacked by flu he becomes very sick and takes a long time to become well.
 The body is then exposed to different kinds of diseases (called opportunistic diseases) and the person becomes constantly sick and eventually dies.
Signs and symptoms of AIDS Some of the signs and symptoms of AIDS are:
 Prolonged fever
 Weight loss
 Constant body weakness
 Skin diseases
 Frequent cough/cold
 Any infection that is not getting cured despite taking medicines
N/B: HIV has not got any signs or symptoms, only a blood test can determine if a person is infected with HIV or not.
Handout
© SASDA

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Topic 3: Impact of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic
The Facilitator should elaborate on this topic and if possible make participants to feel the impact that the HIV/AIDS pandemic has on:
 The individual and the family
 The community
 The country
The impact is hardest on the individual and on the family; because that which the pandemic has on the community and the country eventually falls back heavily on the individual and the family.
This knowledge will enable participants to understand why it is important to learn about the pandemic and that without such knowledge they may easily become part of the statistics.

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Discussions
Allow further discussions, answer questions from participants, clarify their doubts, comments and observations.
 Ask participants to discuss about the impact of HIV/AIDS on the individual, the household and the family.
 Ask if any of the participants have had any experience of case of HIV/AIDS and how it affects the individual, the household and the family; to share the experience.
 Ask participants what they would do in the situation where a member of the family, for example the father or mother becomes infected with HIV/AIDS.
Highlight of the Days Activities
The Facilitator highlights in a summary form the most important aspects dealt with during the day
 Definition of HIV and AIDS
 Difference between HIV and AIDS
 The immune system
 Signs and symptoms of AIDS
 The impact of the pandemic
Impact of HIV/AIDS on the individual and the family
Get participants to do a role play on the impact that HIV/AIDS has on the individual and the family.
1. Identify a number of participants to act the roles of father, mother, children, etc.
2. Let the participants decide on which of the family members is sick of AIDS, for example the father who is the head of and bread winner of the family.
3. Ask the participants to improvise a family situation where the father is sick of AIDS, the mother has no job, the children are in school and the family is dependent on the father.
4. At the end of the sketch ask participants to discuss what they have learnt from the short performance.
5. These should be listed down on a flipchart.
6. Allow for general discussions.
Role Play/Sketch

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HIV and AIDS
Impact of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic
Impact on individuals, families and households
 Sickness and death.
 The bread winner of the family may no longer be able to provide for the family because of sickness.
 Other members of the family may have to give more time to care for those members of that family that are sick. Some times children have to take care of sick parents.
 The standard of living in the family or household drops because the family members that become sick become unemployed, loss their income and the family becomes poor.
 The little money that is available is used to provide treatment and care to the sick members of the family.
 The rest of the family becomes stressed and traumatized because of constant sickness, death, breakup of the family and increased insecurity.
 The family suffers from poor nutrition and children can no longer go to school because of financial stress.
 Children become orphans as a result of the death of their parents.
 Grand parents (grannies) with little to live on by themselves have to assume the role of parents in bringing up the orphaned children.
Impact of HIV/AIDS on the community and the country
 Much of the country’s resources are diverted to provide treatment and care for people with HIV/AIDS, which reduces the amount of resources that can be spent to provide for other services and facilities such as education, social security, etc.
 Stigma and discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS leads to low self esteem, early death and some times violence.
 Loss of work force in important sectors of the country’s economy such as health care, education, business, industry, agriculture and the private sector.
Handout

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Workshop theme for the day HIV and AIDS (cont.) Topics 1. Transmission and prevention 2. Facts and figures about HIV/AIDS 3. Factors that contribute to the continuous spread of the disease
Learning objectives
1. Enable participants to understand how HIV/AIDS is transmitted and how infection can be prevented. 2. Broaden participants’ knowledge on myths & misconceptions, stigma & discrimination. Facilitation methodologies
2. Presentations Materials
5. Flipchart & markers
6. Audio/visual equipment
7. Handouts
By the end of the day participants will: 1. Gain knowledge and life skills that can enable them make informed choices. 2. Acquire social cohesion skills by learning to accept that HIV/AIDS is a normal social condition.
Session 1- Opening session
 Participants arrive, get seated and get ready for the day’s activities.
 Attendance is taken and any other logistical arrangement is done.
 Greetings and welcome are shared.
 Starting off the day with an icebreaker is always very necessary in order to get participants in the mood.
Session 2 - Recap of Day 1 Activities
Get participants to recollect their knowledge about what was learnt the previous day.
 Ask participants to volunteer to do the recapitulation or appoint participants to do so.
 It may be advisable to ask one participant to do the recapitulation on one of the topics dealt with the previous day; another does so for another topic and so on. This encourages participation and skills transfer.
Theme: HIV and AIDS (Cont.)
DAY 2

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 At the end of the exercise the Facilitator introduces the day’s programme and topics.
Session 3 - Basic Knowledge about HIV and AIDS (cont.)
 Ask participants to discuss briefly about any further knowledge that they have about HIV/AIDS.
 Ask participants to identify body fluids that can transmit the virus and those that cannot.
 Ask participants to identify ways by which HIV/AIDS cannot be transmitted.
 Note down the points on the flipchart.
 After the discussion the facilitator makes a presentation about modes of transmission and methods of prevention, facts and statistics, myths and misconceptions, stigma and discrimination.
 The relevant handouts are given out to participants in the course of the presentation.
Topic 4: Transmission and Prevention of HIV/AIDS
 Modes of transmission:
The three principal ways by which HIV/AIDS can be transmitted are through:
 Unprotected sex
 Blood contact
 Mother to child
 Methods of prevention:
There are four ways by which HIV/AIDS can be prevented, namely:
 Abstinence
 Being faithful to a single partner
 Condom use
 Prevention mother-to-child (use of Nevirapine)
 Body fluids that transmit HIV: HIV can be transmitted by the following body fluids:
 Blood
 Vaginal fluid
 Semen
 Breast milk
 Body fluids that cannot transmit HIV: The following body fluids cannot transmit HIV:
 Saliva
 Sweat
 Tears
 Urine
 Mucus

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 How HIV/AIDS cannot be transmitted:
 Kissing, hugging or handshake
 Sharing the same toilet
 Sharing cloths, combs or towels
 Sharing the same bed or seat
 Eating together or sharing the same crockery and cutlery
 Bed bug or mosquito bite or any other insect or animal.

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HIV and AIDS
Transmission and Prevention of HIV/AIDS
Modes of transmission
 Unprotected sex – sex with a person infected with HIV/AIDS without the use of a condom.
 Blood contact – blood transfusion with infected blood, blood contact with a person that is infected with HIV.
 Mother to child – during pregnancy, at birth or during breast feeding. It is possible that a pregnant mother that is infected with HIV can have a baby that is not infected.
N/B: HIV can be transmitted by the following body fluids: blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk.
HIV cannot be transmitted by these other body fluids: saliva, urine, sweat, tears and mucus.
Methods of prevention
 Abstinence – abstinence is the safest method of HIV/AIDS prevention, especially for those who have not been involved in any sexual relationship.
 Being faithful to a single partner – for those who are already engaged in a sexual relationship. It is important that both partners get tested and know their HIV status.
 Condom use – for those who cannot abstain and cannot remain faithful to a single partner, condoms must be used consistently and correctly.
 Prevention mother to child transmission – HIV can be prevented from passing from a pregnant mother to her unborn child with the use of Nevirapine.
How HIV/AIDS cannot be transmitted
 You cannot get HIV through casual physical contact such as hugging, touching, shaking hands, sitting together in class, sharing a bed or sharing toilet seats.
 You cannot get HIV by kissing. HIV is not transmitted through saliva.
 You cannot get HIV by sharing eating and cooking utensils like cups, plates, pots, or forks and spoons.
 Mosquitoes and bed bug do not transmit HIV. You cannot get HIV through a mosquito bite or when a bed bug bites you.
Handout

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HIV and AIDS
Condom Use for HIV Prevention
Proper use of condoms
 Open the package carefully so the condom does not tear. Using sharp objects may damage the condom. DO NOT unroll the condom before putting it on.
 Squeeze the tip of the condom to avoid air being trapped inside, then put it on the erect (hard) penis and unroll it until it covers the entire penis.
 The condom should be put on before penetration.
 Use a good water-based lubricant to ease the pain of insertion and to prevent friction, tear and injury. The lubricant can be applied in the vagina and also on the penis after the condom has been put on.
 After ejaculation (coming), hold the base of the condom and pull the penis out before it becomes weak. Tie the end of the condom and wrap it in a paper.
 Dispose of the used condom appropriately.
Condom care
 Do not use condoms if packages are ripped or have a hole in them.
 Do not use condoms that are dry, dirty, brittle, yellowed, sticky or damaged.
 Do not unroll a condom to check for tears before putting it on.
 Do not keep condoms in a tight pocket or in a wallet for a long period – they may wear out.
 Condoms should be stored in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, moisture, heat and insects/animals.
 Keep plenty of new condoms available. Do not wash and re-use condoms.
 Do not use grease, oil, lotion or Vaseline to make condoms slippery - these oils can easily break the condom.
Condom availability
 Condoms are available FREE in public places, hospitals, clinics and health centres and through community HIV/AIDS activists and volunteers.
 Condoms are also freely distributed by many NGOs and other community health programmes.
 Some condoms can be purchased at low prices from supermarkets, tuck shops, general stores, etc.
N/B: It is not acceptation in most communities for children below the age of 15 to be taught about the use of condoms lest to talk of making it available to them.
Handout

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Topic 5: Facts and Figures about HIV/AIDS
 HIV/AIDS infection rates in South Africa and around the world and the proportion of people infected with the virus among the different population groups
 AIDS deaths: the number of people that have died and continue to die as a result of AIDS
 AIDS orphans: the number of children that have lost one or both parents and the number that is likely to lose their parents because of AIDS
The statistics are alarming.
Topic 6: Factors that Contribute to the Continuous Spread of the Disease
 Myths and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS
The Facilitator gets participants to discuss what they consider to be the myth and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS. A myth is a commonly accepted belief that is not true. A misconception is a wrong way of thinking or a misunderstanding of the real facts. There are a lot of commonly held believes about HIV/AIDS that are wrong in the same way as people have a great deal on misunderstanding about the real facts about the pandemic.
 Stigma and discrimination
Stigma and discrimination are some of the factors that have fuelled the continuous spread of the pandemic over the decades. If efforts to curb the spread of the disease must be sustained then these issues need to be addressed. Getting participants to identify aspects of stigma and discrimination against persons infected or affected with HIV/AIDS is a way of breaking the silence about the disease and therefore reducing the stigma and discrimination attached to it.

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HIV and AIDS
Facts and Figures about HIV/AIDS
Facts
 HIV/AIDS is a deadly epidemic that has no cure or vaccine. AIDS can be treated with the use of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) but HIV has got no cure
 It is one of the highest causes of death all over the world, especially in Southern Africa
 HIV/AIDS can attack anyone, no matter the age, sex, colour or social status
 A man and a woman who are both infected with HIV can have a child who is not infected with the virus
 You cannot tell from physical appearance if a person has HIV/AIDS or not. Only an HIV test can tell if a person is infected with the virus.
 Boys that are not circumcised have a higher risk of becoming infected with HIV than those that have been circumcised
Figures (statistics)
 All over the world, there are close to 34 million people living with HIV/AIDS
 In real numbers South Africa has the highest number of people – approximately 5.6 million living with HIV/AIDS in the world
 About 850 people die of AIDS in South Africa everyday
 Of all the people living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa 38% are youths between the ages of 15 to 24
 Of all new HIV infections among the youth aged between 14 and 25 years 75% are girls and young women. This means that out of every 4 youths who become newly infected with HIV 3 are girls.
 South Africa alone has about 1.9 million AIDS orphans. That is, children who have lost at least one of their parents as a result of AIDS
 Of the total number of AIDS orphans about 300 are living in child headed household, that is, households where both parents have died of AIDS and the family is headed by a child.
Handout

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Discussions
Allow further discussions, answer questions from participants, their doubts, comments and observations.
Facilitator highlights in a summary form the most important aspects dealt with during the day:
 Modes of transmission and methods of prevention
 Important facts and figures about HIV/AIDS
 Some common myths and misconceptions
 Stigma and discrimination
Videos and films have powerful effects in changing lives. They leave imprints that make a difference in personal perceptions about things. There are numerous videos and films that have been produced about HIV/AIDS, which could be used in illustrating some of the issues about the training.
1. Before the day of the workshop, identify the appropriate videos or documentary films relevant to the theme of the workshop session.
2. Ensure that the workshop venue has facilities and is convenient for the video/film screening.
3. It is important to screen the video/film when participants are tired and likely to doze off.
4. The screening should be a prelude to a more enhanced discussion on the topic covered by the video or the workshop session.
5. After the screening, ask participants to discuss what they learnt from it.
6. Note down the points on a flipchart.
Video/Movie Presentation

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HIV and AIDS
Factors that Contribute to the Spread of HIV/AIDS
Myths and misconceptions
A myth is a belief that is not true. The following are some of the common myths about HIV/AIDS:
 Having sex with a virgin can cure HIV/AIDS. False, a virgin is not a cure for HIV/AIDS.
 HIV/AIDS is caused by witchcraft. False, HIV/AIDS is not caused by witchcraft.
 HIV/AIDS is punishment from God. False, HIV/AIDS is not a punishment from God.
A misconception is a wrong way of thinking or misunderstanding of facts. The following are some of the misconceptions that people have about HIV/AIDS:
 AIDS stand for ‘Advanced Intentions to Discourage Sex.’ False, AIDS is real.
 HIV/AIDS can only be contracted by people who are promiscuous (sleep around). False, anybody can get HIV/AIDS even at the first sexual contact.
 HIV/AIDS can be cured by a ‘Sangoma’ (Zulu name for a traditional healer or witch doctor). A ‘Sangoma’ can treat some of the opportunistic diseases but cannot cure HIV/AIDS.
 HIV/AIDS is a death sentence, if you get it you are obviously going to die. No, HIV/AIDS is not a death sentence. A person can be infected with HIV/AIDS and still live a full life span.
 It is better to have HIV/AIDS so as to get grants from the government. This is a dangerous way to think. You are simply putting your life in the line of fire.
Stigma and discrimination
 Stigma is a process of devaluation where a person is made to appear useless or worthless in the eyes of others while discrimination refers to any form of unfair distinction, exclusion or restriction placed on a person.
 AIDS-related stigma and discrimination refers to the negative attitude, abuse and unfair treatment towards people living with HIV/AIDS. This can result in being rejected by family, friends and the wider community and has caused a lot of people to prefer to live in denial about the existence of the disease or to shy away from testing and treatment thus leading to the continuous spread of the virus.
 You must understand that it is a legal offence to stigmatise or discriminate against anyone because of the person’s HIV/AIDS status or that of the member(s) of their families. Nobody has the right to stigmatise or discriminate against anyone who is infected or affected by the pandemic. Everyone has the right to feel free and safe about their HIV status.
Handout

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Workshop theme for the day Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS Topics 1. Vulnerability of the youth to HIV/AIDS 2. Factors that make girls more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS 3. Addressing the vulnerability factors
Learning objectives
Enable participants to understand how they are exposed to HIV infection Facilitation methodologies
2. Presentation
Materials
1. Flipchart & markers
2. Audio/visual equipment
3. Handouts
Participants will gain knowledge and life skills that can enable them make informed choices.
Session 1- Opening Session
 Participants arrive, get seated and get ready for the day’s activities
 Attendance is taken and any other logistical arrangement is done
 Greetings and welcome are shared
 Starting off the day with an icebreaker is always very necessary in order to get participants in the mood
When the session starts, get participants to recollect their knowledge about what was learnt the previous day.
 Ask participants to volunteer to do the recapitulation or appoint participants to do so.
 It may be advisable to ask one participant to do the recap on one of the topics dealt with the previous day; another does so for another topic and so on. This encourages participation.
 At the end of the exercise the facilitator introduces the day’s programme and topics.
Theme: Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS
DAY 3

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Session 3 – Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS
 Ask participants to discuss briefly what they consider to be the vulnerability factors which expose the youth to HIV infection.
 Note down the points raised on a flip-chart.
 After the discussion the Facilitator does a presentation on the vulnerability factors.
 In the course of the presentation the relevant handouts are given out to participants.
Topic 7: Vulnerability of the Youth to HIV/AIDS
N/B: The Facilitator should allow enough discussion on this topic and preferably should allow participants to identify the vulnerability factors. After the discussions refer participants to the handout and ask them to explain how each of the factors listed help to expose the youth to HIV/AIDS.
Topic 8: Factors that make Girls more Vulnerable to HIV/AIDS
 Lack of power to negotiate safe sex leads to potential exposure through unprotected sex.
 Gender inequality and high levels of gender-based violence, sexual abuse, rape and sex under coercion and threat.
 Biologically, the sexual organ of girls (thin wet skin that lines the vagina) is more exposed and therefore increases the chances of infection.
 The presence of sexually transmitted infections in girls often goes unnoticed and untreated, increasing the risk of HIV infection.
 Women have lesser access to health care, education and other social and economic services that make them more vulnerable.
 Poverty and lack of economic opportunities may cause girls to engage in sex-for-money kind of relationships and in such situations they are unable to negotiate safe sex.
Topic 9: Addressing the Vulnerability Factors
Facilitator gets participants to identify ways by which the vulnerability factors can be addressed. These may include:
 Making the right choices, for example, choosing the right friends, deciding on the appropriate time to engage in a sexual relationship or choosing between the alternative of education and street life.
 Engaging in life skills activities.
 Knowledge and information dissemination through peer education.
 Promoting gender equality so as to reduce the rate of violence against girls and women.
 Making a conscious decision to adopt a positive attitude and behaviour change (making a risk assessment plan, formulating a new behaviour, seeking necessary help and support in the behaviour change process, sustaining the new behaviour).

49
Discussions
Allow further discussions, answer questions from participants, make clarifications on their doubts, comments and observations.
Facilitator highlights in a summary form the most important aspects dealt with during the day.
 Vulnerability factors that expose the youth to HIV infection.
 Factors which make girls more vulnerable than their male counterparts.

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Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS
Vulnerability of the youth to HIV/AIDS
The youth are particularly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS because of the following factors:
 Engaging in sex at an early age.
 Multiple partners.
 Untreated sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
 Substance abuse. Youth who abuse substances like drugs and alcohol are several times more likely to become infected with HIV than those who do not.
 Prostitution and transactional sex.
 Cross generational sex (“sugar daddy” and “sugar mummy” syndrome.)
 Peer pressure. The feeling of wanting to belong among peers often causes the youth to indulge in risky behaviours that expose them to HIV infection.
 Poverty.
Factors that make girls more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS
Girls are more vulnerable to HIV infection than boys. This is because of the following factors:
 The lower status of girls in society reduces their ability to negotiate safe sex.
 Gender-based violence (assault, sexual abuse, rape) increases girls’ risk of HIV infection.
 Biologically, the sexual organ of girls is more exposed thus increasing the chances of infection.
 STIs in girls often go unnoticed and untreated, thus increasing the risk of HIV infection.
 Poverty and lack of economic opportunities may also cause girls to engage in transactional sex (sex-for-money) therefore exposing them to unsafe sex.
Addressing the vulnerability factors
 Delay sexual engagement until ready enough to make informed decisions and the right choices. Abstinence is the best choice.
 Reduce number of sexual partners to one for those who cannot abstain.
 Avoid cross generational sex. The ‘sweetness’ that you get from a ‘sugar mummy’ or ‘sugar daddy’ is not worth the risk of becoming infected with HIV.
 Promote and advocate use of condoms among youths that are sexually active.
 Encourage gender equality and reduce sexual abuse and violence against girls.
 Encourage the youth to seek counselling and testing and youth-friendly health services.
 Knowledge and information dissemination through peer education as an essential tool for attitude and behaviour change.
Handout

51
Workshop theme for the day Peer education Topics 1. What is peer education? 2. The Peer Educator 3. The importance of peer education
Learning objectives
1. Get participants to understand what peer education is and what it means to be a Youth Peer Educator. 2. Enable participants to appreciate the relevance of peer education for behaviour change and HIV/AIDS prevention. Facilitation methodologies
1. Plenary discussion
2. Presentation
3. Group discussion Materials 4. Flipchart & markers 5. Audio/visual equipment 6. Handouts
Skills to be acquired
By the end of the day: 1. Participants will gain knowledge about peer education. 2. Participants will also acquired the skills necessary for becoming effective Youth Peer Educators.
Session 1 - Opening Session
 Participants arrive, get seated and get ready for the day’s activities
 Attendance is taken and any other logistical arrangement is done
 Greetings and welcome are shared
 Starting off the day with an icebreaker is always very necessary in order to get participants in the mood
When the session starts, get participants to recollect their knowledge about what was learnt the previous day.
 Ask participants to volunteer to do the recap or appoint participants to do so.
 It may be advisable to ask one participant to do the recap on one of the topics dealt with the previous day; another does so for another topic and so on. This encourages participation.
 At the end of the exercise the facilitator introduces the day’s programme and topics.
Theme: Peer Education
DAY 4

52
Session 3 - Peer Education
 Ask participants to try to briefly explain what they understand by peer education.
 Note down the points raised on flip-chart.
 After the discussion the Facilitator makes presentation about peer education
 In the course of the presentation the relevant handouts are given out to participants.
Topic 10: What is Peer Education?
 Definition of peer education. It might be important to differentiate between peer education and peer pressure.
 The possible places where peer education can be done.
 The different ways by which peer education can be done.
 Refer participants to the handout to enable them compare their ideas with the factual knowledge about peer education.

53
Topic 11: The Peer Educator
 Who is a Peer Educator? Get the participants to try a definition of who a Peer Educator is.
 Qualities of a good Peer Educator. Ask participants to name the factors which they think qualify them as Peer Educators.
 Roles and responsibilities of a Peer Educator. Enable participants to figure out their roles and responsibilities as Peer Educators.
Topic 12: The Importance of Peer Education
 The effectiveness of peer education for HIV/AIDS prevention.
 The effectiveness of peer education for behaviour change.
Discussions
Allow discussions, answer questions from participants, make clarifications on their doubts, comments and observations.
Facilitator highlights in a summary form the most important aspects dealt with during the day.
 Brief definition of peer education.
 Define who a Peer Educator is.
 Brief explanation on the importance of peer education and how effective it is in HIV/AIDS prevention and behaviour change.

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Peer Education
What is Peer Education?
Peer education is an informal way of sharing information and knowledge with individuals or peer groups.
Where can peer education be done?
Peer education can take place in different settings and can include different activities:
 At School: The Peer Educator may engage with friends (peers) at school, especially during break time or on the way to and from school.
 At home: Peer education can take place too at home, involving friends within the neighbourhood
 In the community: The Peer Educator can also engage with their peers anywhere in the community, especially during play time. Peer education can take place on a street corner, at a social club, in a bar, at the bus station or any other place or social gathering where people feel comfortable.
 At church: Peer education can take place too at church among other peers in Sunday School or choir
 In a youth group: Youth groups are the most important places where youth peer education can take place
How can peer education be done?
There is no formal way by which peer education should be done. It can be done through:
 Personal conversation with an individual
 Group discussions
 Story telling
 Playing a game
 Singing a song
 Showing a picture
 Watching a movie, etc.
N/B: Peer Educators need to undergo some basic training in order to have the knowledge and skills needed to mobilize and influence their peers in making informed decisions about the choices they make in life.
Handout

55
Peer Education
The Peer Educator
Who is a Peer Educator?
 A Peer Educator is a non-professional teacher who has the duty to talk to, work with and motivate their peers to adopt a change of behaviour.
 A Youth Peer Educator therefore, is a youth who provides information & knowledge to his/her peers with the aim to bring about positive attitude and behaviour change.
 Peer Educators can be persons from any profession or social group, such as students, sex workers or transport workers, men who have sex with men (MSM), those who inject drugs or people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA).
 A Peer Educator can also be someone out of a particular community or social group – for example, a Youth Peer Educator may also share knowledge and information with other members of the community.
 To be a Peer Educator does not require one to leave one’s job, profession or schooling.
 A Peer Educator needs to have received some basic training.
Qualities of a good peer educator
A good Peer Educator must:
 Have the ability to seek new information and knowledge about HIV/AIDS and related subjects, such as sex and sexuality, crime and violence, drugs and alcoholism, gender equality, reproductive health, STIs and how these relate to HIV infection.
 Have the ability to listen and communicate effectively.
 Have the ability to deal with emotions and difficult situations.
 Have a non-judgmental attitude.
 Be dynamic and have an adaptive and flexible nature.
 Have the ability to encourage and provide support.
 Have the ability to lead by example – role modelling.
 Have the ability to maintain confidentiality and trust.
 Have the ability to look at a situation from various angles – must not be stereo-typed.
 Have the ability to make informed decisions and encourage others to do so.
Handout

56
Peer Education
Roles and Responsibilities of a Youth Peer Educator
Youth Peer Educators have the role and responsibility of:
 Educating their peers in one-on-one and small group sessions about HIV/AIDS prevention and prevention of other social ills.
 Assisting peers to adopt prevention measures and methods like abstinence, condom use and being faithful.
 Assisting peers to access social services like voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), health care, youth advisory and orientation services.
 Participating in HIV outreach awareness and other public events and being at the forefront (role modelling) in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
 Distributing informational and educational materials about HIV/AIDS.
 Training other peers.
 Holding regular meetings with members of their peer groups.
 Teaching peers to negotiate safe sex.
 Propagating abstinence, being faithful and the use of condoms as HIV/AIDS preventive measures.
 Distributing and demonstrating correct condom use as a prevention measure.
 Teaching peers how to do a personal risk assessment.
 Making referrals to Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) and health care facilities.
 Serving as leaders, change agents and role models in the community.
 Facilitating positive self image and self esteem among members of their peer group.
Handout

57
Peer Education
The Importance of Peer Education
Peer education is an effective tool for attitude and behaviour change because Peer Educators act as credible sources of information to ensure changes in attitude and behaviour and also because they share the same life experiences with their peers. It is important not only for HIV/AIDS prevention but also for addressing other social ills and vices such as substance abuse, crime and violence, sex and sexuality, prostitution and negative peer pressure.
The effectiveness of peer education for HIV/AIDS prevention
 Enables dissemination of information about HIV/AIDS and risky behaviour patterns. Peers have the opportunity to talk about and share knowledge about the disease among them.
 Helps peers in assessing risky behaviour and in making informed decisions about their sexual lives in relation to HIV/AIDS.
 Encourages compassion and non-discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families. Peer education can help to dispel the stigma and discrimination about HIV/AIDS.
 Peer education is culturally and socially appropriate because it enables issues about HIV/AIDS to be addresses from “within” a certain circle or social group and therefore creates confidence among members of the social group, e.g. among the youth.
 Helps to develop group norms among peers to support each other in resisting behaviours that put them at risk of HIV infection.
 Facilitates awareness-raising campaigns and drives in the community.
 It is economically the most cost effective way to run an HIV/AIDS prevention or social change programme.
The effectiveness of peer education for behaviour change
 Peer education helps to improve the confidence, self-esteem and sense of self-worth of Peer Educators who then serve as role models to key target groups and the rest of the community.
 Peer Educators are usually members of the community and are therefore trusted and respected by other members of the community.
 Accepted by the target audience/community and therefore can easily have influence over the group or community.
 Enabling for marginalized communities and target groups.
Handout

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Practical exercise on how to do a peer group discussion
The session on peer education should be concluded with a group exercise to give participants the opportunity to practice how to work with peer groups. This should be done through decentralised plenary and small group discussions.
1. Select different topics or subjects relating to the challenges faced by the youth in their development process. For example, sex and sexuality, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, peer pressure, etc.
2. Divide the participants into small groups of between 4 and 6 depending on the total number of participants. The groups should be constituted with consideration to group dynamics such as gender balance, diversity, etc.
3. Share out the topics to the different groups and ask them to discuss the most relevant issues.
4. One participant from each group should serve as the scribe to take down notes of whatever the group discusses.
5. Allow between 20 to 25 minutes for the exercise.
6. After the discussions, participants get back into plenary session.
7. Each of the scribes from the different groups is called up in turns to present what the group discussed.
8. Allow for comments and questions from the rest of the participants.
Group Discussion
© SASDA
© SASDA

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