Peer educators get ready for the fight against AIDS in Moldova
By John Budd Malouata, Moldova - August, 2007: The Nistru River is slow and wide here and along its tree lined banks, the summer camps buzz with the raucous games children play. In a small shade house a group of teenagers huddle around a table animatedly discussing a topic seemingly out of place in this holiday atmosphere – self awareness. Sergey Majar, a 17 year old high school student tells the others that it makes him feel more confident. “It will make me teach better.” Svetlana Melnic agrees saying she want to give other people good information in the best possible way. Sergey and Svetlana are part of a UNICEF youth network of peer educators whose task over the next year will be to help educate young people about HIV AIDS. Here at the summer camp the 38 young people are being given training about how to personally go about this ambitious campaign. UNICEF Specialist in HIV AIDS in Moldova, Larisa Lazarescu-Spetetchi, says UNICEF and its sister agency UNFPA will train 1080 peer educators plus another 350 adult supporters in ten summer schools. Most of the peer educators are aged between 14 and 18 and are in high school.
“Once in place we will be able to reach 80% of young people in Moldova with the right information about HIV AIDS,” she says. “And we need to do it fast because we have discovered less than 10% of young people have the right information about HIV.” Although the HIV/AIDS epidemic is not general, it affects young people and young adults disproportionately. In Moldova adolescents constitute 9 % of the total number of HIV infected people with young adults aged 20-29 comprising 54% of the total. Moldova has about 3400 registered HIV cases but the numbers are doubling each year. In the absence of effective interventions, HIV/AIDS prevalence may reach up to 2 percent of the population by 2011. “I have to convince my friends and young people how dangerous HIV is,” Sergey says. Svetlana adds: “Although the problem is not as big in Moldova as it is in other countries we have to try to stop its spread and keep the young generation healthy.” For the past nine years UNICEF in Moldova has used the community based networks and social activities to help inform and educate communities and young people about a variety of issues ranging from child rights through to abuse and violence. At one point the agency had a network of 5000 peer educators. For example Sergey participates in another UNICEF concept, social theatre, where he participated in writing and staging a play on HIV. Now his theatre group is working on a play about the issue of migrating parents. Larisa Lazarescu-Spetetchi says she decided to focus the network on HIV in 270 communities around the country. “Each school goes for five days and is intensive and interactive. We developed the curriculum ourselves and it focuses on basic knowledge of HIV and also developing interpersonal communication skills through role playing, case studies, and participation.” “The young people are volunteers and we have found that attending the course interests them because they feel it gives them life skills.” Her views are echoed by Svetlana who says: “The course is cool. “ Sergey says that his family and friends are proud that he is doing the course and is part of the network.” The project is supported by the Swedish Government.
Further links: UNICEF's global campaign "Unite for children, unite against AIDS"
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