INTRODUCTION TO PEER EDUCATION

Who is a Peer?

A peer is a person who belongs to the same social group as another person or group.

The social group may be based on:- Age

- Sex

- Socio-economic status

- Sexual orientation, background

- Occupation , Department

- Health status and other factors

What is Education?

• refers to the development of a person’s knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors as a result of the learning process.

What is Peer Education?

• Peer education is a process where by well trained and motivated people, undertake informal or organized educational activities with their peers, aimed at developing their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and skills enabling them to be responsible for and to protect their own health.

who is a peer educator? Is an individuals who has been trained, and is

making deliberate efforts to motivate his/her peers to gain knowledge, skills and to change their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors towards the desired change.

He/she has accepted and adopted the desired change and is therefore a role model to his/her peers.

Qualities of a Peer Educator

• Willingness to volunteer

• A good role model

• A good communicator

• Good interpersonal skills, including listening skills

Qualities of a Peer Educator

• Self-confident

• Accepted and respected by their peers

• Should have a non-judgmental attitude

• Strongly motivated to work towards HIV risk reduction

Qualities of a Peer Educator

• Available and committed to peer education

• Accessible to the peers

• Passionate

• Enthusiastic

Is there an Ideal Peer Educator?

Remember, no one can have all these qualities!

The Goals of Peer Education

• To reduce risky sexual behaviour and HIV transmission among peers.

• Encourage knowledge of HIV status

• Encourage positive living

• Support reduction of stigma

What it Means to be a Peer Educator

• Peer education removes the barriers between knowledge and power

• Peer Educators conduct structured activities such as education sessions and less structured activities such as one-to-one referrals and answering anonymous questions

Roles of a Peer Educator

Recruit peers to attend meetings

Organize and hold weekly group meetings with peers on topics related to STIs, HIV and AIDS

Hold one to one sessions with peers to discuss problems or issues they bring up

Refer peers to appropriate services for STI treatment, counseling or VCT

Roles of a Peer Educator

Distribute condoms

Fill out forms for record keeping

Give feedback to the management through the HIV and AIDS coordinator

Organise and carry out family and community outreaches

Advantages of Peer Education

• Increased HIV and AIDS awareness among peers in the work places

• Employees talk more freely about HIV/AIDS and risky sexual behaviour (Breaking the Silence)

• Change of attitude and behaviour among both peer educators and their peers

Advantages of Peer Education

• Peer Education helps to improve the Company’s commitment to HIV prevention in the work place

- policies - resources

• Reduced medical costs

• Reduced loss of skilled manpower

Do you need a peer education Program?

Thank you