a sourcebook of hiv/aids prevention programs volume 2

Primary School Action for Better Health, Kenya 113Including HIV/AIDS in out-of-class activitiesIn many schools more than half of HIV/AIDS messages are conveyed duringhome-room time. Anonymous question boxes have also been found to beeffective. Each week trained teachers respond to the questions submitted,clarifying conflicting messages and addressing cultural issues that may lead tothe spread of HIV. Use of the boxes has been shown to break the silenceYoung peoples’ voices about the Question BoxYoung people in classes 7 and 8 usually hold meetings once in a while. We talk about theproblems we have encountered. We receive the answers to the questions written by studentsand put in the question box. Quite often the questions are so sensitive that students do notfeel free to go directly to the teacher to ask the question. For instance, one girl writes that sheis worried because she has never menstruated. She wonders whether she is abnormal. Somequestions have been written by girls who are too scared or shy to tell their mothers that theirstepfathers want to sleep with them. They fear becoming pregnant and being infected withSTDs and HIV.Female student, 15 years oldsurrounding not only HIV but also sexuality issues.Supporting co-curricular activitiesChanneling messages through various aspects of extracurricular activities,such as drama, debating clubs, song, and dance, helps ensure that the programfollows a whole-school approach. School health clubs are also important intransmitting health messages.Fostering peer supportPeer supporters trained by the program speak directly to students aboutpersonal concerns related to family, relationships, sex, and condoms. Theyhelp young people deal with pressures to be sexually active. In addition tofunctioning within and around the school environment, peer supportersplay important roles in extracurricular activities.Involving the wider communityThe program aims to enable the wider community to recognize its role inpartnership with schools in preventing the spread of HIV. It seeks to enable(c) The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank