1. I CHOOSE LIFE AFRICA
AN AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES PEER
EDUCATION BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
PROGRAM

2. BACKGROUND
I Choose Life – Africa is the leading
Behavior change program in the
universities in Kenya today. The
program was launched in 2002 by the
Ministry of Health and
recommended to all the universities
by the Commission of Higher
Education in 2003.

3. PROGRAM LOCATION
• We are currently operating in 7 institutions
of Higher Learning
University of Nairobi
Kenyatta University
Daystar University
Moi University
Maseno University
Egerton University
Cooperative College of Kenya
Rolling out to Uganda and Côte d’ivoire in 2007

4. OUR VISION
AN AIDS FREE AFRICA

6. To contribute to the goal of the
KNASP 2005/6 – 2009/10 plan to
reduce the spread of HIV, improve
the quality of life of those infected
and affected, and mitigate the socio-
economic impact of the epidemic in
Kenya, with emphasis on the youth.
OUR GOAL

7. PEER EDUCATION AS AN
ENTRy POINT TO CARE
AND SUPPORT

8. CATHERINE THEURI
PROGRAMME COORDINATOR
CARE AND SUPPORT DEPT.
I CHOOSE LIFE - AFRICA
PRESENTED BY:

9. The Peer Education Training is an 8-
week program on HIV and AIDS.
Topics include: Sexual Responsibility,
STIs, VCT, Living with and
Management of HIV, Home-based
Care, Culture and sexuality, consistent
and correct use of condoms among
others.
TRAINING OF PEER EDUCATORS

10. After the Peer Education Program,
is a Life Skills Training program,
to help the peer educators to
practically apply what they have
learnt as peer educators
LIFE SKILLS TRAINING

11. LIFE SKILLS TRAINING (CONT’D)
• Topics include:-
The Bridge Model: How Do We Build a Bridge From
Information to Behavior Change?
Peer Educators: Roles And Responsibilities Of A Peer
Educator
Leadership skills
Counseling Skills
Communication Skills
Negotiation skills
Assertive Skills
Self-Esteem Building: Do We Have Self-Esteem?

12. BEhAvIOR ChANGE COmmUNICATION
GROUPS (BCCGS)
• The peer educators then form small behavior
change communication groups.
• Two peer educators team up, and recruit
other students who have not been through
the training, and pass on the same HIV and
AIDS messages using interest activities as
the base e.g Salsa, sports, drama etc.

13. ThE CARE ANDThE CARE AND
SUPPORT PROGRAmSUPPORT PROGRAm

14. SERvICES OFFERED AT ICL CARE
& SUPPORT DEPT
1. POST-TEST COUNSELING
2. BASELINE HIV TESTS
• CD4 COUNT
• FULL BLOOD COUNT
• ALT-LIVER FUNCTION TEST
• CREATININE LEVELS
3. NUTRITION COUNSELING
4. ADHERENCE COUNSELING
5. ARVs
6. GROUP THERAPY

15. ROLE OF ThE PEER EDUCATORS
IN CARE AND SUPPORT
We use the peer educators to
reach out to their fellow
students and form support
groups in the form of BCCGs,
around Care and Support issues.

16. ROLE OF ThE PEER EDUCATORS
IN CARE AND SUPPORT
We have two types of post test groups:
• Post-Test Clubs (PTCS)– these are
groups made of students who are
either HIV infected or closely affected
i.e. it is a mixed sero-status group.
• Support Groups – These are groups
made of strictly HIV positive students.

17. Role of the peeR educatoRs
in caRe and suppoRt
Currently we have Post-
test Clubs (PTCs) in all
the universities that ICL
has a program in.

18. Role of the peeR educatoRs
in caRe and suppoRt
The core business of these
clubs is to help fight stigma
and discrimination in the
university. This they mainly
do through messaging.

19. Role of the peeR educatoRs
in caRe and suppoRt
We also have two support
groups of HIV positive students
based at the University of
Nairobi. These too are led by
our peer educators.

20. KEY ACTIVITIESKEY ACTIVITIES

21. 1.) to minimize levels of stigma &
discRimination against plhivs.
This is mainly done through the
Post-Test Clubs. They meet
weekly and carry out
discussions and trainings. They
also organize activities such as
community service, movie
nights, and concerts where they
pass on anti-stigma messages.

22. 2.) to incRease access to holistic caRe and
suppoRt foR hiv positive students.
Medical Support – This is offered to
HIV positive students using a
networking system with organizations
such as Aids Care Treatment Services
at Kenyatta National Hospital and
Liverpool VCT, Care and treatment.

23. 3.) to pRovide psychosocial suppoRt to those
infected and affected by hiv.
Psychosocial support to those
infected or affected by HIV and AIDS
–using group therapy through post
test clubs (made of peers who are
either closely affected or infected), and
support groups of peers who are HIV
positive. ICL also provides individual
counseling .

24. 4. to stRengthen paRtneRships, RefeRRal
netwoRks and linkages
ICL seeks to strengthen networks and
linkages - Some of the main links have
been:
•MESA – the medical students body at UoN.
•The Integrated Counseling and Education
centre (ICE) at UoN.
•Kenyatta National Hospital – The CCC
•Liverpool VCT, Care and Treatment.
•AIDS Care Treatment Services (ACTS).

25. LESSONS LEARNT
1. The peer educators reach their hurting
peers easily as they know how to best
to communicate with them.
2. The peer educators are well informed
with the facts on HIV and AIDS, and
are able to help their fellow peers deal
with myths and misconceptions.

26. 3. The peer educators have the knowledge
to lead post-test support groups, and
know who to get as resource people to
tackle issues that they themselves cannot
handle.
4. The peer educators easily identify with
the fears that their peers are facing and
are better able to empathize with them.
LESSONS LEARNT (CONT’d)

27. 5. Support groups led by peer educators grow
much faster as the students feel ‘safer’, better
understood, and they take ownership of the
group. They feel that they can discuss issues
at par.
6. Having strong linkages with organizations
that compliment services offered helps to cut
down on costs, and keep focus on the
organization’s core business.
LESSONS LEARNT (CONT’d)

28. 1. Peer educators need to be empowered
and supported to reach out to their peers
and provide support to them.
2. Youth friendly service providers need to
be identified, and a directory put together
for the peer educators to use to refer their
peers.
RECOMMENdATIONS

29. 3. An information sheet on organizations
that provide different support structures
for the HIV positive youth needs to be put
together, so that the youth know where to
go for certain services e.g. nutrition,
ARVs, family planning etc.
4. There is need to develop information
packs that are relevant to the peer group,
easily portable,, and informative on
related issues.
RECOMMENdATIONS (CONT’d)

30. 5. It is important to let the peer educators participate
in the putting together of the different IEC
material as they know what will best
communicate to their peers.
6. The peer educators need to constantly have
refresher courses to update their information, as
well as receive training in other relevant skills
such as event management skills and general
management skills for efficiency.
RECOMMENdATIONS (CONT’d)

31. In the area of Care and support where
confidentiality is very key, the students
seem to identify better with their peers that
have gone through similar experiences.
The peer educators understand their peers
better than anyone else because they
experience similar issues and challenges in
life. Therefore, when well trained, Peer
educators can be extremely effective.
CONCLUSION

32. UFUNGAMANO HOUSE
4TH FLOOR – RM 402
TEL: 2730913/4/5
CELL: 0724 255 822
0734 333 266
Website www.ichooselife.or.ke
Email: info@ichooselife.or.ke
Contact person: Cathy or Flo
OUR CONTACTS