HIV/AIDS Prevention & Reproductive Health Project

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Society provided them with basic knowledge about HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health. Members of the Tatarkot Women’s Group have also been advising their spouses – migrant workers – on the phone to avoid unsafe sex and use condoms to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, she said. Many have written letters to their husbands, who stay away from the family working abroad. Women are thankful to the Junior/Youth Red Cross Circle of Nepal Red Cross Society for raising awareness through school and community based peer education project about HIV/AIDS and reproductive health. Another member of the Group, Sushma Bishwakarma said she had also spoken to her husband, now working in Qatar, about what she had learned from the project. “My husband was amazed listening to what I had to say and he appreciated for sharing it with him,” Sushma said. “After the training, I do not feel ashamed or shy talking about sexual and reproductive health issues any more.” Kopila Bishwakarma said of late her husband had started using condoms during sex. “Using condom is not just about HIV/AIDS, it also is an effective way to plan family.” According to Dhana Kumari, a Dalit couple in the adjoining village had died of AIDS related complications and another adult is suspected to have been infected with HIV. “We are investigating this. It is difficult to assess the number of the infected because there is a tendency of denial.” Tatarkot is home to about 150 Dalit households living in extreme poverty with farm producing barely meeting one quarter of their food needs. As a result, the Dalit adults go for employment, where they could be infected with HIV unknowingly. Nepal Red Cross Society’s Parbat district chapter implements the HIV/AIDS and reproductive health project through 15 Youth Red Cross Circles and 10 women’s groups formed in different parts of the district. NRCS Parbat District Chapter President Sundar Prasad Joshi said the programme has had positive impact in school and communities and has also raised public awareness about HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health. Headmaster at a local high school in Khurkot Dronaraj Upadhya said the peer education approach in school had benefited students, their parents and the community members. “It also made students creative and motivated them to engage in service-oriented activities.” Teacher sponsor of the same high school Balkrishna Bastola said that peer education was very useful and it had not hampered the students’ study. “Peer education has created an atmosphere, where students can talk openly and frankly about sexual education.” Learning more and the right things about sex, sexuality and reproductive health issues will surely help the growing students change their behaviour in the long run and this will definitely reduce the risks of HIV/AIDS spread in the future, said another sponsor teacher Shanta Sharma. Extracted from Gorkhapatra daily, 19 November 2006 Women gifting condoms to dear ones Now their letters contain condoms and safe sex tips along with other private messages. Thanks to a campaign undertaken by the Red Cross, women of this area have become health conscious and they eagerly share their knowledge with their husbands and relatives living abroad, as well as with ignorant locals. CAPITALIZATION STUDY HIV/AIDS Prevention and Reproductive Health Project NRCS/SDC 2000-2007 29
Under the initiation of District Red Cross, a group of women from Pang VDC – 7 was given one year health training. “The people’s mindset about sexual health has changed. Unlike earlier, they participated in discussions related to the subject and feel comfortable sharing their knowledge with locals ignorant on the matter,” said Dhan Kumari BK, chairperson of the group. She said that women now insist their husbands and also their relatives and neighbours to use condoms and have safe sex. “We have also been aware of safe maternity and benefits of having few children,” she added. “Now it has been our habit to write about sexual health to our husbands who are away from home. We worry that they might get infected with HIV as they are ignorant about the disease,” said Laxmi Sunuwar, a member of the group. “Hesitation to learn and confess problems does not solve any problem. One has to get the knowledge and implement that in life,” she added. Extracted from The Kathmandu Post, 16 November 2006. II Question Guide Questions to Youth circles/ Peer Educators We would like to learn more about how this programme works, from your own personal perspective as young people. The information you share will be anonymous, so that none of the material we discuss will be linked with any individual. Let's start with some of the basic information about the programme and the steps you are involved in. WITH EVERY ANSWER, THINK OF HOW ANYTHING HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST YEARS BECAUSE OF THE PROJECT. The main objective of these questions is to find out how far the project contributed to behaviour change in terms of improved life skills. We will look at how far motivation, engagement, attitudes, interaction and communication between youth and adults, etc. have changed. We will further look at how far the management capacity of the youth circles have improved and how far gender roles are addressed. Life Skills development/ Behaviour Change • Describe the programme's goals and activities: What activities do you do 30 CAPITALIZATION STUDY HIV/AIDS Prevention and Reproductive Health Project NRCS/SDC 2000-2007 specifically? Describe in some detail the different steps of activities you were involved in (selection process, training, activities, etc.). • Which activities did you enjoy most while implementing them? Why? • At which activities were participants most lively? Why? • What do you think attracted the most participant? How many? • Which activities do you think are most popular? Why? • Which are the topics youth are most interested in? • To how many people do you talk on issues related to HIV and AIDS on average (f.e. per week)? • What are the greatest challenges for your work? What would you like to do differently? What is it that motivates or does not motivate you in your work? • Which parts of the training did you find most useful? • How did you become peer educators? Probe: What are reasons for joining (such as: a way to spend free time, possibility to
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