Burkina Faso: Engaging Young People in Realizing an HIV/AIDS Free Generation

International AIDS ConferenceJuly xx, 2014

Melbourne, Australia

Core Partners

• Advocates for Youth• Mwangaza Action• Association des Jeunes du Département de

Léo (AJDL)

Association des Jeunes du Département de Léo

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

• Burkina Faso ranks 183 out of 187 countries in the Human Development Index

• Young people constitute almost 1/3 of the population• Secondary education enrollment is low• Comprehensive knowledge of HIV is low but increasing• HIV prevalence is on the decline• Girls and young women are especially vulnerable to

HIV• Most adolescent girls are married by age 18

Driving Principles of the Program

• Partnerships between local, national and international implementers

• Youth engagement and leadership

• Youth adult partnerships

• Community participation and stakeholder involvement

• A rights-based framework

• Gender equity

• Sexuality and adolescent development as a normal part of being human

Samankeni---Originally a peer educator with the program now serves as a lead facilitator and supervisor of new peer educators

The Program seeks to:

1. Build organizational capacity among partners2. Secure stakeholder support3. Increase knowledge of sexual and reproductive

health and HIV prevention among young people ages 10-24 in 5 sectors of Léo

4. Increase access to male and female condoms5. Increase use of SRH services among youth6. Strengthen comprehensive school-based sexuality

education (soon to come)

Youth Association Training

Strategies

• Community mobilization• Youth-adult partnerships• Peer education for out-of-school youth• Condom distribution• Provider training and support on youth-friendly

services• Strengthening of referral networks• Facilitating changes in facilities• Supporting primary school teachers on CSE

Peer Educator

Activities

• Ongoing stakeholder meetings • Training and supporting 12 animators of the youth

association• Training, supporting and supervising 20 peer educators• Peer education talks and home visits• Community-wide events• Training and supporting 29 providers on youth-friendly

services• Adapting services to be more youth-friendly• Engaging with 33 teachers across 11 primary schools

A community awareness raising event for in-school youth at the end of the school year

Reach and Outcomes

Over the past year:• 3,421 young people reached with SRHR information• 1,624 male and female condoms distributed• 150 booklets distributed to learners and providers • 500 brochures distributed on services and locations• 600 brochures distributed on sexual and reproductive

health (SRH)• 650 t-shirts with SRH messages distributed• Increased use of services at 2 clinics• Requests for expansion to more districts and for CSE

support at the primary school level

Peer educator conducting educational session in Léo

Conclusion

· Youth leadership in partnership with adults contributes to programming that is relevant, an enabling environment for youth, and sustainability

· Community engagement is critical to advancing programming that addresses youth and HIV and leverages limited resources

· The investment in local capacity implicit in community engagement contributes to program support, relevance, and sustainability

Voices from the Field

“My knowledge in the field of reproductive and sexual health has improved as a result of my participation in the execution of this program. I am able to talk more easily about sexuality not only with my parents, but with my friends and the community in general. I know a lot about HIV and how it is transmitted, and how to protect yourself…Many young people know how to use condoms correctly, and know where to get them without embarrassment. This program is truly a major benefit for our community, in the sense that many things have changed.”

• Female youth association member

For more information…

Contact:• Nicole Cheetham, Advocates for Youth,

nicole@advocatesforyouth.org• Roger Thiombiano, Mwangaza Action,

mwangaz@fasonet.bf• Lamine Nignan, Association des Jeunes du

Département de Léo, ajdlbf@gmail.com / ajdlburkina@yahoo.fr