School AIDS Education Programme in Tamilnadu ,India

[Guest guest]

UNICEF- EMPOWER School AIDS Education Programme in Tamilnadu ,India

HIV and Young People:

The HIV/AIDS epidemic poses one of the greatest threats to our state's future.

Although it is an uncomfortable fact, we in Tamil Nadu are facing one of the

fastest growing epidemics in the country. In few districts, the level of HIV

infections has exceeded 4% of the adult population. Over 50% of new infections

in the world are occurring in the age group of 15-25 years. Similar trends are

being observed here in Tamil Nadu, underlining the need to focus on young

people.

Young people are our greatest hope in the continuing struggle against this fatal

disease. There are some parts of the world where the spread of HIV/AIDS has

declined only because young women and men were given the information, tools and

incentives to adopt safe behaviours.

Key Stake Holders:

UNICEF has pioneered in this effort to initiate this project covering, 3480

schools in Tamilnadu. From October 2003 to till March 2004 , the Department of

Education, in close collaboration with the DTERT and DIET , Tamil Nadu State

AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) and Core NGOs has planned sessions on HIV

prevention in each school covering all class IX and XI students. These will

give young people an opportunity to learn basic facts about HIV/AIDS. It will

also provide them a forum to ask questions related to growing up and raise

issues dealing with some of the challenges and pressures of being an adolescent.

The materials including the training manual 'Learning for Life' which are being

used in the classroom have been carefully prepared and the content follows

national guidelines developed by the National Council of Education Research and

Training (NCERT) and National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). These have been

received in the context of Tamil Nadu's setting and made appropriate to age and

culture.The training manual was sponsored by AIDS Prevention and Control Project

(APAC -VHS),Chennai.

GOAL:

Minimize the risk of HIV/AIDS among students of Government and Government aided

schools in Tamil Nadu.

OBJECTIVES:

To Increase the level of involvement and participation of officials at all

levels for School AIDS Education Program

To sensitize parents through Parent Teachers' Association to create an enabling

environment for HIV and sexuality education in schools

To promote peer education process among 9th and 11th standard students for

Behaviour change communication

STRATEGIES:

Teachers as trainers/counsellors

Peer Education

Life Skills Education

Question Box

Role of EMPOWER:

EMPOWER has been identified by the UNICEF as one of the five Core Resource NGOs

at the Tamil Nadu level for covering Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari,

Virudhunagar and Ramanathapuram Districts to offer resource support to the

headmasters and nodal teachers from 684 schools. At each District level, the

local DIET faculties are already trained by EMPOWER . EMPOWER offers Resource

support to the DIET at all stages of implementation.

So far, EMPOWER in partnership with the DIET of the 5 districts has conducted 5

District Level Coordination Meetings at District Headquarters with the

participation of the District Collector, Joint Director of Health Services,

Chief Educational Officer, District Educational Officers and the School Health

Medical Officers.

In each of the 5 districts, the organization has completed 14 Headmasters

Sensitization Programs covering about 582 headmasters. In an one-day

Sensitization Program, the need, the importance and the salient features of the

School AIDS Education Program are explained in detail. Besides, an exhaustive

slide presentation on Basic facts of HIV/AIDS and the concepts relating to Life

Skills, Adolescent Pressures and the Basic counseling guidelines to deal with

adolescent problems are dealt in detail by the Core Resource Persons of EMPOWER.

In the next level, 1 male and 1 female teacher and 1 male and 1 female peer

educators are being imparted training on HIV/AIDS, Sexuality Education and Life

Skills Education from 684 schools in the 5 districts. The Nodal teachers and the

Peer Educators are expected to conduct the sessions in the class room

environment following the training manual 'Learning for Life' .The thrust of

this venture is to ensure the quality of training at all levels and hence the

active involvement of NGOs like EMPOWER experienced in HIV/AIDS ,Human

Sexuality and Life Skills Training Methodology among adolescents.

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Yours in Global Concern

A.SANKAR

Executive Director

EMPOWER, 107 J/133 E,puram

Tuticorin-628 008, INDIA

Phone: 91 461 2310341

Telefax: 91 461 2310151

Mobile: 094431 48599

E-mail: <ttn_empower@...>