1. Challenges Faced in Supporting
Peer Educators in Tanzanian
Primary Schools
Presented by Audiface Mammbai and Simon Gervas
Support for International Change
Arusha, Tanzania

2. Summary
• Background
• Description
• Lessons Learned
• Recommendations

3. Background
• 47% of Tanzania’s population is under age 19
• 60% of girls and 55% of boys have
intercourse before age 18
• Widespread misconceptions about HIV
among people under age 19
• Tanzanian youths are at risk for HIV
Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey, 2004-2005.

4. About Support for International
Change (SIC)
• Provide mobile Voluntary
Counseling and Testing
• Support people living with
HIV
• Train and support
community health Workers
• Providing education in the
community
• Providing education in
schools

5. Description
• A program to empower primary school
students to teach each other about HIV
• 20 hours initial training, with follow up and
support
• Over 60 schools

6. Strengths
• Program is a good idea
• Good PE Selection
• Students are creative
• Easy to motivate PE’s
• Good relationships with Field Officers
• Reinforces correct information

7. Failures
• Very few schools maintained active
clubs
• “Active” clubs conducted only
occasional education
• Teachers showed little cooperation

8. Lessons Learned
• Poorly defined goals and overly optimistic
expectation of the program
• Lack of accountability by teachers and
infrequent follow up with teachers by SIC staff
and education authorities
• Poor implementation of the initial peer
education training
• Teachers unmotivated to support the peer
educators

9. Poorly defined goals and overly
optimistic expectations of the
program
• Expected our program to be:
– Fully self-sustaining
– Led by primary students
– Supported by teachers and their
superiors
– Requiring little follow up

10. Lack of accountability by teachers and
infrequent follow up with teachers by SIC staff
and education authorities
• Teachers not making
it a priority
• Educational
administrators not
making it a priority
• Without teachers
nothing happened

11. Poor implementation of the initial
peer education training
• Limited time during
volunteer program
• Poor cooperation
from the teachers and
parents
• Poor selection and
pupils being young
• Too many conflicting
responsibilities for
SIC Field officers

12. Teachers unmotivated to support
the peer educators
• Overcrowded schools
and too few teachers
• No support from head
teachers or
administrators
• “What’s in it for me?”

13. Reporting and Follow-up system
Ward Education Officer
Head Teacher
Peer Educators Teacher
Peer Educators
SIC Field Officer

14. Recommendations
• Develop a model with more emphasis on
life skill promotion, stronger accountability,
and a wider reach

15. Fight HIV Clubs Model
• These are fight HIV clubs in primary
schools focused on HIV education through
sports and games
• Life skills promotion
• Involving more students

16. • Working with education authorities for
supervision
• Motivation for teachers
• Continued involvement of SIC Field
Officers
Fight HIV Clubs Model

17. NEW Reporting and Follow-up
system
Ward Education Officer
Head Teacher
Peer Educators Teacher
Peer Educators
SIC Field Officer

18. Who can lead the way to the HIV
and AIDS Free Generation?

19. Thank you!
Questions?
Urio,A; Robert, R; Ramadhani, U; Amanya, J; Mammbai, A; Gervas, S; Churchman, E; Saloner, R; Kelling,
S; and Mackey, E. “Challenges Faced in Supporting Peer Educators in Tanzanian Primary Schools.”
Support for International Change, Arusha Tanzania. www.sichange.org