EKWENDENI HOSPITAL HIV/AIDS RESOURCE CENTRE. Brief of 6 months activities. Youth Programme YOUTH HEALTH GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING Objectives Reduce HIV/AIDS incidences among youth 1. Behaviour change 2. Safe space for access to HIV information 3. Recreational activities 4. HIV testing promotion and services Reduce stigma and discrimination among and towards PLWAs Provide youth friendly health services IGAs Activities. ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENT: Aim 1: Train and support young people to prevent HIV transmission and to provide care and support to PLHA Peer education training, recruitment and activity in Ekwendeni: 67 Peer Educator in Ekwendeni underwent 3day refresher training. The peer educators have been communicating comprehensive HIV prevention and life skills messages to other young people in churches, schools and community settings. 1100 young people in churches and school have received life savings skills by peer educators. 6 Active Ant-AIDS clubs have been formed in addition to the existing clubs. Monthly and Quarterly review meetings were held to bring the peer educators together and reflect on their work. This enabled the peer educators to share challenges, successes, and lessons and to plan together to enhance team work. Psychosocial training for youth leaders and staff: After noting that the Youth in the community lack physical and psychosocial support. This problem was discovered through orphan care program. The training empowered the youth leaders in the community and staff at the youth centre to work with youth who are orphan and vulnerable effectively. These youth meet many problems which need physical and psychosocial counselling. 40 youth leaders and staff took part in the training. Provision of Youth friendly VCT and Sexual Reproductive health services within health centres: 10 Health workers were trained in YFHS as service providers. 5607 pregnant youth aged 14-24, attended youth friendly VCT services and 235 who were found HIV positive accessed PMTCT from the hospital. All these young women also received education on sexual reproductive health.12,466 young people accessed VCT and 635 found to be HIV positive referred for CD4 count and ARV treatment to the Hospital. Provision of recreation, information and education to youth in the youth centres: On a daily basis (except at weekends), Ekwendeni youth centres provide HIV testing and counselling (HTC) services (in addition to the services provided at the youth centres), recreation and sporting facilities, education on HIV, PMTCT/ VCT, Behaviour Change, Life skills and Library services including daily news papers which also attract many young people to access employments and adverts in Malawi and free computer training. 35 balls were purchased and distributed to youth clubs. There is increased availability and accessibility of HIV and sexual reproductive health information to young people in Ekwendeni.Now, an average of 3500 people accessing different services monthly. The youth Centre Supervisors facilitate review meetings with the youth leaders at the youth centres on monthly basis and also compile reports from different youth clubs. Life skills training sessions to schools, churches and communities in Ekwendeni: A total of 1100 youth (from Ekwendeni catchment area) were trained in Life skills. These were youths in schools, churches and youth clubs in communities. (550 males and 550 girls) were trained through these sessions, covering areas of relationships, sexual reproductive health, assertiveness, decision making and communication.
Exchange Visits within the catchment area. (Club to club) 90 youth from 6 Youth clubs conducted exchange visits within the catchments area. These visits were conducted to share experience within the clubs, problems facing and how to overcome it at a community level. Aim 2: Strengthen communities to provide HIV care and treatment and reduce stigma Home Based Care and Support to People Living with HIV: 75 trained volunteers underwent a three day refresher course. These volunteers work together with the primary health care workers to visit the chronically ill in their communities and provide them psychosocial and spiritual support, basic medical and home based care. Home based care kits were procured for the trained HBC providers to use during home visits. Those living with HIV and on ART were also encouraged on adherence to treatment, and were provided with basic treatment and care for different minor opportunistic infections, and where necessary referred for further support and care. Aim 3: Support advocacy and education initiatives focused on challenging stigma and advocating for equitable distribution of HIV resources Stigma Reduction Campaigns: 9 Major campaigns were conducted Ekwendeni catchment area and over 6,000 people were reached. The campaigns helped to mobilize more communities and leaders to support people affected and infected with HIV within their communities and families. 125 T-shirts were printed and distributed during the stigma reduction campaigns. VCT services were also provided during the campaigns and 317 people were counselled and tested. Psychosocial and positive living for PLWAs training: 100 PLWAs were trained in psychosocial and positive living. This training helped them to know how to live positively and psychosocial support to infected and affected people in their families. Construction of herbal gardens 3 herbal gardens have been started in Ekwendeni catchment area to provide access to PLWAs in herbal and nutrition. Advocacy sessions with PLWAs and community leaders: These meetings were organized to seek support of the local leaders in Ekwendeni to mobilize community members to encourage them to support people living with HIV and AIDS and reduce stigma against them. 60 PLWAs and community leaders attended these sessions. Advocacy meeting with stakeholders: 40 participants from different organisations including officials from the National youth council, district assembly, chiefs and influential leaders in the community attended the meeting. The main objective of the meeting was, To share equitable HIV resources and to reduce negative attitude towards PLWAs and young people (Stigma). Youth involvement in decision making at district level as well as national level was discussed. Who has benefited from this project Activities Youths accessing educational and recreational activities through the youth centres Peer educators training Youth leaders and staff psychosocial training. Life skills training Provision of VCT services. Youth groups to be reached by Numbers reached An average of 3500 accessed different services per month (19436 youths (January to June) 67 underwent refresher course. 40 Youth leaders and staff were trained in psychosocial. 40 Peer Educators were oriented as life skills facilitators. 1100youths were trained in life skills in schools, church and community youth clubs. 12,466 youths accessed VCT services from January to March. 40 Youth groups, 7 post-test club and 1 PLWAs support
programme. Advocacy campaigns. Sigma Reduction Campaigns. Psychosocial and positive living for PLWAs. HBC and support to PLWHA Exchange visits within youth clubs Recreational procurement for the youth (Ekwendeni) group have been reached. 60 community leaders were reached. 40 district and National level officials were engaged in advocacy with the youth and PLWHA. Over 6,000 people were reached through stigma reduction campaigns and 317 people accessed VCT during the campaigns. 100 PLWAs were trained in Psychosocial and positive living 3 herbal gardens constructed. ( 1 behind the resource centre) 75 HBC volunteers underwent a refresher course. 25 HBC kits were procured and distributed. 6 Youth clubs, 15 members each club were involved in the club to club educational visits. (90 youth) 35 ball were procured for Ekwendeni Hospital youth clubs CHALLANGES. NB: We have constructed a chicken house with effort from the youth peer educators But the challenge is capital to start this income generating activity. The amount needed to start with 200 chickens is K176, 000.00, which will make a profit of K40, 000.00 after 8 weeks. There is need to continue training the existing young people because some who were trained have left for greener pasture. i.e. (HBC Volunteers, Advocacy, Life saving skills Youth friendly and Peer Educators.) There is need to have more IGAs so that young people can access self employed at the centre. Lack of funds to introduce sustainable programs for the youth such as Vocational skills, Agriculture. Lack of transport for the supervisor to monitor in the catchment. ( We had a friend who was helping us in field supervision, but his program has stopped) due to this we have to continue doing supervision ourselves Lack of sporting materials Inadequate Information Education and Communication materials i.e. Video CDs, Video tapes. The programs have no money at the moment. Acknowledgement. We thank you for the whole support that you give towards the needs to Ekwendeni catchment area. This is very important to serve youth lives. SUCCESS STORY INTRODUCTION YOUTH ARE LIKE A BLANK PAGE.
All in all indeed life is so hard but sometimes we can survive, youths and children are like a blank page where information must be recorded. I wish to record my most sincere special thanks to Ekwendeni hospital Youth AIDS Resource Centre and I would like to thank every one directly or indirectly who work there and my fellow youth and peer educators. For the development to take place there must be equal participation between the youth, men and women including the aging (gerontology) where by each and every individual should contribute so that others can hear his/her own views. In the sense that Ekwendeni Hospital Youth Resource centre has done a great job in my personal life where by it preach about preventive not curative methodology so has upgrade my life from nothing to something glass to grace and zero to heroes. CONTENT (BOBY) I was in the wilderness where by I had no any information about HIV/AIDS, Home based care programme, peer education child abuse, orphan care and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) and others. But suddenly I was trained as Voluntary Counselling and Testing promoter (VCTP) and that was the first training I hard in my life, by then youth clubs were there but I didn t take any part, I was just a spectator, a lire, a cheater and deceiver. The knowledge expands as youth had an exchange visit to another district to learn more mainly on voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) Little knowledge always is dangerous but that it is not like that at Ekwendeni hospital because we always have refresher course after the training. Exchange visit and life skills discussion in schools and out schools youths. Encouragement that is spiritually, physically, emotionally and indeed the significance of youth clubs. Because of knowledge confidence and contribution I was choose as a chairperson of Chenjezo youth club, which is about 4km from Resource Centre as we go to the south area. So some sense came that Ekwendeni Hospital Resource Centre was not just after spending money to me or to the fellow youths but the target was making us to remain health and disease free so that we should grow into responsible adults, so don t give fish to somebody but teach him/her how to fish. Honestly speaking the life was in danger because of peer pressure but has been rescued and is singing rejoicing hope I will succeed in life. So they always assemble all their weapons together and preach about forty youth clubs around the catchment area of Ekwendeni Hospital. I don t take any beer, smoke and befriending with prostitute anymore, that s why I was awarded peer education certificate, shading it more right appositively life in a wonderful world is my will am a married person with a son and always have table discussion how we can not these deadly diseases. Before proceeding, let me assure you that a dangerous and a deadliest weapon is a tongue, I had a very best friend we were always together like one and two but because of his opposition life and not listen to me as a friend he is no more because of HIV/AIDS. I tried to counsel him but he wouldn t listen. CONCLUSSION
Doctors, nurses, co-ordinates, managers and supervisors of Ekwendeni Hospital are in the wilderness looking for ways and means on how they can end this deadly disease, so I will be serious not furious to educate my fellow youth because we are the leader of tomorrow. And that is true, Ekwendeni Hospital Youth resource Centre has record full information into us being peer educators, VCT counsellors, HBC providers and many more.