Eswatini: Linda Chissano

SRHR for young people, key populations and work place.

Sexual and reproductive Health and rights(SRHR) HIV Knows No Borders project is done by the youth mentor and a group of volunteers (Change Agents). This project is monitored by the Youth mentors on a daily basis, and it runs through out the communities, schools and work places along the Pigg’s Peak Town council corridors. Activities include one on one sessions, dialogues, Educational Session, teen groups,  schools and health clubs. Since issues of SRHR are on the rise in our communities and the country at large. Our main goal is to work towards having zero new infections in our communities and in the country. Secondly, that no one should die of HIV/ AIDS as a result of lack of knowledge about the virus. Research shows that the lack of unemployment specifically for the youth lead to young people getting involved in sex work, as well as drugs. Through these projects the aim is to address these problems and bring about behavioral change to the youth and population at large .

ACTIVITIES

Working with the key people in our communities such as Ward counselors, Head teachers and Teachers, Sports Administrators, Business people, Youth leaders and other NGOs. Made our approach to SRHR issues and other related activities implemented to run without a problem. Ward counselors are addressed and educated about the issues involving SRHR and whenever they have meetings at community level they are given opportunity to talk to the people. In addition to that meetings set to take place in certain communities involving dialogues, ward counselors help with mobilizing the communities. We also have healthy clubs in schools, where with the help of the Head teacher and teachers these clubs run smoothly and we visit these schools for sessions on a weekly basis. Sports administrators also help us in implementing the project since more people are in sports through different sporting activities. Churches are also our main target of reaching a larger audience, so we get a chance to address the people through the help of the church leaders. Youth leaders make our approach also very smooth since every group of people have a leader,and we use these leaders to reach the youth forums to help in implementing our projects.

RESULTS AND OUTCOMES

We have managed to teach our community about gender norms, roles and relations which results in differences between men and women and they now have a full understanding. Promoting and protecting of human rights in our communities have also been achieved. Aims of the project on improving sexual and reproductive health and (SRHR-HIV) related outcomes among migrants, adolescents, young people and sex workers and other affected communities have been achieved.