Barber Shop Intervention Project, New Delhi

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Barber Shop Intervention Project, New Delhi

François-Xavier Bagnoud INDIA has started a three-year project to target 1,050

of New Delhi's barber's shops covering 2,500 barbers and approximately 1 million

customers for raising HIV/AIDS awareness. Barber's shops in India provide more

than just haircuts as they are a hub of local gossip and also places where men

often talk freely about sex.

Interventions on attitudes towards sex and HIV/AIDS as well as other STDs need

to be focused on men and this project allows to contact with most of the men in

the targeted area, without reliance on their attendance at specialised events,

such as awareness camps.

In this project each barbershop is to be given a stand displaying IEC

(Information, Education, Communication) materials as well as a poster

illustrating the " does and don'ts " of HIV/AIDS. The stand also includes a small

clock as a gift/incentive. HIV/AIDS education training sessions are held twice

each week, with five barbers attending each session. This include lessons in

hygiene and sanitation plus supplies of the anti-septic solutions necessary for

proper hygiene. Barbers who attended the sessions are proving to be very good

peer group educators and IEC material from their shops has more

For FXB Delhi the barbershop project is the first aimed at trade and

professional groups. The next projects will target workers in dhabas (small food

stalls and restaurants) and rickshaw and auto-rickshaw drivers.

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Dr.Jagdish Harsh ( jharsh@... )

Director of Administration and Operations

François-Xavier Bagnoud (INDIA) ( www.fxb.org )

161,Satya Niketan Moti Bagh-II

New Delhi-110021

Phone: +91-11-6111793-94

Fax: +91-11-4107381

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