Group Education Manual - Peace Corps Wiki

Handout 11F: Health FairsWhen designing the health fair, keep in mind the following:1. AudienceIdentifying your audience is the first step toward ensuring the performance’s messages are well-targeted.Some topics may be appropriate for many audiences, while others may be relevant for only a few. Forexample, focusing on PMTCT may not be appropriate for very young children; if they are part of youraudience, be sure there are other activities with messages that are more relevant for them. It’s important toask questions like:• Who do you want to reach? (church groups, young men, young women, local political forums, ladiesgroups, etc.)?• How will you provide the information—through booths, activities, resource people, etc.?• How will you draw your audience to the fair?• How will you entertain your audience?• What interesting elements can your health fair employ to engage the audience (include as many interactiveactivities as possible)? Didactic presentations, for example, may not keep your audience interested. Tryfun, interactive activities, such as debates, quizzes, and musical competitions. These can all relate to thekey issues you want to present. Alternatively, you can include interactive activities that are unrelated toyour messages, like sports competitions and performances by local artists, but that get the audienceinterested and willing to participate in the health fair.2. Theme/Key MessageIt is important to identify the theme(s) on which you would like to focus when planning your health fair.Limit it to just a few key messages, so that people do not get overloaded. A theme may be involving men inpreventing HIV and the key messages may be: 1. Ending violence against women. 2. Joint decision-makingabout sexual and reproductive health.3. Preparation/Human ResourcesSeveral types of people are needed to mount a health fair:• One or more people to coordinate and retain overall responsibility for the event: This person orpersons should be motivated and able to work well with others to ensure that the plans for the health fairremain on track.• One or more resource people at the health fair to either sit at the “booths” and answer questions orprovide information to the whole audience. For example, you can have a teacher talk about HIVprevention or a doctor talk about ARV treatment. Be sure their presentations are dynamic or theaudience may lose interest.• Food vendors: Who will provide food and refreshments, if you choose to serve them?• What entertainers, if any, would you like to perform at the fair?4. Financial ResourcesWhen planning your fair, you will need to identify your financial needs. For example, you may need fundingfor food, drinks, booths, posters, signboards, prizes, etc.107