European guidelines for youth AIDS peer education - University of ...

Youth participation and empowermentThroughout the guidelines we have attempted to describe and elucidate the process of working with youngpeople in AIDS peer education. The target group will always remain the primary focus, since it is here thatthe peer educators are recruited and return as experts and change agents.Adults in the project begin from the perspective of young people, and then guide and channel the peereducators’ motivation and growth into maturity, improved life-skills and social involvement. This requires anopen and reflective dialogue with young people even when it means listening to their criticism. Patience isrequired because they are young and as volunteers can drop-out as they wish. Time and effort will beneeded to keep them involved and motivated.In successfully co-ordinated projects, the peer education process can directly or indirectly lead to increasedyouth participation in local health promotion issues. By observing the co-operation and shared responsibilitybetween adults and young people in the project they may be empowered to do something about the healthproblems concerning them. HIV may shift from being ‘someone else’s’ problem to being one of their own.LogisticsLogistics will take a good proportion of the co-ordination time. Localities have to be arranged for the peereducators’ activities, supervision meetings, supplementary training sessions, social activities and storage. Ifthere is not space at the co-ordinating agency, localities can be borrowed from collaborators and in thecommunity. Scheduling includes the project’s internal activities and making arrangements withintermediaries for various peer educator activities.The peer educators will need materials such as supplies of condoms, overheads or slides, posters, printedmatter, or even costumes for drama presentations. The peer educators may need help in locating andpurchasing these materials.Depending on their age, the peer educators will eventually be able to take over some of the theseresponsibilities. They can also be shared with the small group supervisors and with intermediaries.EvaluationAn evaluation informs future practice and provides feedback to those working in the project as well as tosponsors and policy makers. An evaluation will need to be carried out with vigilance.The amount of scheduling and time the evaluation will require is dependent upon the design used andexamples are covered in the next chapter. If an external consultant conducts the evaluation, this personshould be integrated into the project. This meeting of the world views of the practitioner and the evaluatoris discussed in the next chapter as well.Peer educator supportIn review, the aims of adult peer educator support and supervision are the following:• to provide information up-dates and access to professional information and advice• to provide continuing self-development training• to allow group brainstorming sessions where new implementations can be generated• to keep the peer educators focused and their feet on the ground when overwhelmed by theirown enthusiasm.• to provide technical support in creating new implementations, i.e. posters, dramas, presentations, etc.• to make sure the group dynamic are functioning well and help solve problems as they arise• to provide feedback and encouragement on the work being done and emotional support when it doesn’t• to intervene when there are problems between the peer educators, intermediaries or gatekeepers• to provide a social program that keeps the group together.The support and encouragement of other young people is crucial for the peer educators. This includes theproject team they work with, the supervision groups and the peer education group as a whole. Networkingand exchange with similar peer education projects can be very encouraging and fun as well as facilitate theEuropean guidelines for youth AIDS peer education 37