Youth – Page 2 – C4D Network

ZNNP+ e-Network (The National Network of People Living with HIV (ZNNP+) and Youth Engage National Youth Alliance, Zimbabwe, 2014 onwards)

January 24, 2016

Background: Youth living with HIV in Zimbabwe face a number of challenges in accessing HIV/AIDS information and services due to a number of factors that range from affordability, inadequate information to stigma and discrimination. Zimbabwe Network for People living with HIV and Aids (ZNNP+) has been facing challenges in encouraging youths to join support groups mainly because of stigma and discrimination. ZNNP+ identified social media as a platform to improve access and availability of Youth friendly and comprehensive SRHR/HIV information and for virtual peer to peer psychosocial support. The platform provides education on sexuality to young affected populations as well as addressing social norms that fuel risk behaviors among young people.

What did the programme involve? ZNNP+ trained 10 youths one from each of the ten provinces on the use of technological innovations as advocacy tools. The training was centered on the use of social media. After the training ZNNP+ provided smart phones and periodically provided them with airtime. The youths cascaded the trainings to district representatives in their provinces. Social Whatsapp group platforms were formed in all the districts linking with provinces and feeding to the national social Whatsapp group managed by the Advocacy Officer. The platforms are being used to disseminate information from national to grassroots and getting issues from the grassroots. The issues identified (eg drug stock outs) are taken by the ZNNP+ Officer who engages with the responsible authorities and policy makers. The Advocacy person also organise quarterly media discussions on issues affecting youths living with HIV in accessing health needs.

Lessons learnt: Through discussions on social platforms youths living with HIV started sharing challenges they face in accessing ART. One topical issue that was raised was high user fees charged at Zvishavane District Hospital in Midlands province. The hospital was charging $3-00 and this was beyond the reach of many youths living with HIV. To take the issue forward ZNNP+ organised a dialogue with youths representatives from Midlands province, Provincial Medical Director (PMD) and Members of parliament. The issue also received limelight from the media. More than sixty youths living with HIV are now empowered and can make informed decisions regarding their health and can demand services at health facilities.

Next steps: The positive results from the project shows that social media is key in reaching out to youths. Plans are underway to strengthen the programme and cascade it to support groups of people living with HIV.

(Source: Edmore Mutimhodyo, Zimbabwe Network for People living with HIV and Aids)

Promoting contraceptive uptake among 15-24 year old youth using innovative approaches including ICT and new media in Western Kenya (Centre for Adolescent Study in Conjunction with David and Lucile Packard Foundation, 2014 onwards)

January 24, 2016

Background: The Western region of Kenya has a high burden of HIV/AIDS, high teenage pregnancy rates, low condom usage and limited access to SRH information and services among the youth.

Unmarried but sexually active young people have an even higher unmet need for contraception, with 46% (nationally) indicating that they are not currently using any form of contraception. This means that they are not only exposing themselves to the risks of unwanted or early pregnancy, and all the social implications of such, but that they are also exposing themselves to STIs including HIV/AIDS.

The project seeks to promote contraceptive uptake – particularly condoms, which have been singled out as a critical element in HIV prevention – among young people aged between 15-24 years using ICT and interactive media in western Kenya. It is part of a wider programme being implemented in the region by the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), Great Lakes University of Kisumu (GLUK), Family Health Options, Kenya (FHoK), and Marie Stopes Kenya.

What did the programme involve? The project focuses on strengthening the capacity of partners and stakeholders to provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and services to young people in four districts in western Kenya over the next two years. It was initiated by a set of strategies including health education, interactive media and linkages to health services.

The ICT and interactive elements of the project include SMS messages and an interactive Facebook page. Information relayed to young people includes awareness and prevention of sexually transmitted infections (including HIV/AIDS), prevention of unplanned pregnancies, advice on abortion, and contacts of local youth-friendly health facilities. This is supported by a number of young peer advocates on the ground who distribute condoms and can link young people to health facilities for comprehensive HIV and sexual and reproductive health services.

Why this approach: Social media and SMS messaging are popular amongst young people in Kenya and can offer a confidential, non-judgemental way for them to feel comfortable about accessing information and services.

Results observed: Findings show an increase in contraceptive uptake by young people at local clinics between April and December 2014. Approximately 6,417 young people have ‘liked’ the Facebook page and many have used the page to engage with discussions about the consequences of unprotected sex, abortion, where to access HIV services and condom use. There are also indications that the range of health services offered to young people is beginning to broaden as a result of the project.

Lessons learnt: Social media platforms could be widened to include websites and other channels and existing channels could be strengthened.

Mwili Wangu Changuo Langu [My Body, My Choice] (The Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health, Kenya 2011-2015)

January 24, 2016

Background: Young Kenyans often lack places to safely ask questions, or talk to anyone about their sexual feelings. For various cultural and social reasons (not limited to Kenya, or Africa in general) sex education is not a topic many parents and teachers feel comfortable or happy to take on which often results in young people not having the knowledge or confidence needed to avoid unwanted and/or risky sexual activity.

To try to tackle this the Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health (TICAH), works with groups of adolescents and youth to help them understand their choices when it comes to their sexual and reproductive health (SRH).

What did the program involve? TICAH created safe spaces for peer groups (young women and young men separately) to think about attraction, intimacy, safety, health, and pleasure. The programme involved a holistic approach that focused on SRH issues, including HIV prevention for young people for discussions. Young people involved in the project were involved in discussion groups of not more than 30 young people to share thoughts, experiences and lessons learnt around SRH for a duration of six months. As part of the discussion groups that also produced short five minute films recorded with a true story collected from the discussion groups told in such a way that it evoked discussions on each choice made in the film.

Through social media, TICAH partnered with other local organisations working with young women for twitter chats and sessions to discuss current affairs relating to young women’s choices and challenges on sexual health. The twitter chats sessions were moderated by a facilitator well informed on SRH Issues.

Why this approach: In terms of the social media approach, Twitter works well because discussions and chats can be pre-planned and young people can prepare in advance. These discussions can then be storified and shared in other platforms for young people to read.

In terms of video production, short videos are a useful way to bring young viewers together to explore issues and to share their experiences with each other.

Results observed: Scenario videos have reached over 250 young people who have reported that their knowledge has increased and their behaviour re: safe and wanted sexual encounters has also changed as a result of learning from the scenario videos. However, actual behaviour change can be very difficult to measure

Lessons learnt: Scenario videos are a very effective tool in behaviour change because they opens up space for frank discussions that are sometimes regarded a taboo. Young people learn better in spaces where they feel safe and confidentiality is upheld. Twitter chats works better in a controlled environment where young people are notified earlier of chat discussions.

Standout22285 SMS: Increasing access to Comprehensive Sexuality Education on Sexual and Reproductive Health services among young people through ICT and new media (Family Health Options Kenya and International Planned Parenthood Federation, 2015)

January 24, 2016

Background: In Kenya many young people lack comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge – including a lack of HIV prevention information resulting in low condom use and low attendance at HIV testing and treatment centres. In April 2015, in response to this lack of information, Family Health Options Kenya (FHOK) launched their Standout 22285 SMS information service to increase sexual and reproductive health information and knowledge among young people in Kenya.

What did the programme involve? The Standout22285 SMS information service targets the under 25s and is a free, confidential and interactive 24/7 counselling service providing information on sexual and reproductive health, youth-friendly FHOK clinics, sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS services.

Young people send a text message with the word SRH to 22285 and then follow the instructions and the code number they are given to key in, in order to access the exact information they are looking for which is sent back to them as a message. The HIV/AIDS SMS code for example tailors the message to include available services and referrals to the nearest family health youth clinics for services such as HIV/AIDs testing and counselling, voluntary medicalized male circumcision and anti-retroviral treatment. The incoming SMS traffic is analyzed periodically to track and report on key knowledge gaps and emerging issues related to HIV and STIs among young people.

Messages received are monitored and analysed through the smart care dashboard that automatically synthesizes data in real time and generates scores and ratings on the information young people accesses the most. Aside from analyzing data the dashboard gives key performance indicators and provides gender disaggregated data for a given duration. It also records which referral facilities have been recommended and when.

FHOK has partnered with International Planned Parenthood (IPPF) through its affiliate Youth Action Movement (YAM) to spear head this initiative. YAM has been supporting the agenda of young people on their social media sites.

Why this approach? Mobile phone usage is high in Kenya, and SMS based messaging systems often work better for young people because they are confidential and private. Young people can get free information about HIV and AIDS through their mobile phones in the comfort of their favourite hangout.

Results observed: An analysis of the SMS system conducted from January to June 2015 showed that the largest number of queries related to HIV/AIDS (25%) with questions about family planning methods second (20%). In addition it was found there had been an increase in young people accessing Voluntary, Counselling and Testing (VCT) services at the FHOK clinics referred to in the messages, as well as a higher uptake of condoms at these clinics.

Lessons learnt: It’s vital that services like this include a data capturing system, such as the smart care dashboard, as this helps service providers know how to tailor and package information to suit young people’s needs. It’s also vital that young people do not receive information alone but that, where appropriate, this is received as a part of a wider package that includes clinic and services referrals.

No Hoodie, No Honey social media campaign (United Nations Population Fund, Nigeria 2013 onwards)

January 23, 2016

Background: In 2013 UNFPA launched its “No Hoodie, No Honey” social media campaign in Nigeria in order to try to educate young people, particularly girls, about the importance of safe sex. The campaign was driven by recent figures that half of girls under the age of 18 are sexually active and that Nigeria has one of the highest rates of adolescent HIV/AIDs prevalence: 3.4%. The aim of the campaign is to inform and empower girls aged 15-24 with accurate information and skills that will allow them to make informed decisions when it comes to sex and relationships.

What did the Programme Involve? UNFPA produced two animated videos, 5 minutes in length to which were placed online and were freely available.

In these videos, targeted mainly at adolescent girls, the two main female characters, Ene and Toju, discuss having sex for the first time, pregnancy, sexual transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDs, and using and carrying condoms. The second video also features a young male character whose behaviour and attitudes are also supportive of the film’s main messages – namely, girls in relationships should not feel pressured into having sex but if they would like to have sex then carrying condoms and asking male partners to use them does not make them promiscuous but is rather a sign that they are in charge of their life and sexual health. The videos encourage young women to carry condoms and to be assertive when it comes to their use, even when the man disagrees. The videos also try to stimulate discussions about the embarrassment girls face when it comes to initiating condom use, and give ideas for how that can be overcome.

UNFPA Nigeria has also run a regularly updated and interactive Twitter feed since 2013 – pushing the messages with the #NoHoodieNoHoney hash tag and encouraging engagement and activity through the use of online competitions and Twitter chats.

Why Animations and a Social Media Campaign? The target group, young women and girls, are frequent users of social media in Nigeria. Therefore it was felt that this medium would reach the largest number of the target audience.

The animations allowed a greater engagement as the characters were young people that the target audience felt familiar with and could relate to. Pidgin English is used to make the conversation seem less formal and more engaging for young Nigerians.

Results Observed: The campaign was widely reported in the Nigerian media, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. On YouTube, the first video has been seen over 6,000 times, and the second video has over 3,000 views. Over 7,000 people have liked the UNFPA Nigeria page, which focuses on issues of sexual health and the #NoHoodieNoHoney hash tag has been tweeted from, to and about on an almost daily basis since 2013. All of which suggests that the campaign has reached significant amounts of the target audience and is sparking conversations about sexual health, which was the aim of the campaign. Due to the nature of the campaign it is difficult to judge the amount of behaviour change it might initiate.

Lessons Learnt: This case study emphasises the importance of formative research in deciding target group, message and medium. Background research about sexual activity and health in Nigeria highlighted the need to focus on improving sexual health among adolescents, and revealed the lack of young women’s empowerment when it comes to sex.

It also highlights the importance of ensuring those without access to electricity/ICT do not miss out in social media campaign as the NoHoodieNoHoney videos were adapted into free comic books to ensure the message was spread.