Raising awareness remains the most important strategy and the most feasible approach for reversing the HIV epidemic since there are no vaccines and no medical cure. Furthermore, persistent HIV-risky behavior in spite of high level of HIV awareness requires continuous and concerted focus on effective preventive interventions that will address specific needs key population segments and stimulate adoption of appropriate behavior that reduces the risk of HIV transmission. Communication holds a vital and indispensable place in HIV prevention interventions. It has the potential to increase demand for HIV prevention services and have an impact on knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and practices influencing the spread of HIV. Hence in the quest for the effective control of HIV and AIDS communication for behavioral change is of critical importance. Employing bases of faith and hope can bring a great impact in stimulating adoption of appropriate behavior that is in keeping with their Christian faith which will reduces the risky of HIV transmission. In the sentinel survey studies carried out in antenatal clinics throughout Botswana, the number of unmarried pregnant youth is exceptionally high, accounting for over 78% of all clients and within this group the HIV prevalence is highest in all test sites with ranges from 39.2% -51.9 %.Teenage pregnancies are extremely common in Botswana. Substance abuse with its mood altering impact leads to deviant behavior with greater possibilities of relations with multiple sex partners. Substance abuse leads to loss of self-control and unsafe sex. Interventions for prevention and management of HIV amongst substance abusing population and rehabilitation of the affected are a matter of great concern. Clearly there is urgent need to address issues of sexuality as they pertain to youth. If education programmes succeed in doing nothing more than encouraging youth to delay sexual debut, their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS can be substantially reduced. Delaying sexual debut is a good thing, but people’s minds are occupied with a high desire for sex or sexual pressure which peers pressure may also be a reason for this. Employing faith bases can be an added advantage in bringing up an ideal moral behavior that will reduce the risk behavior, many programmes have been implemented but they are more based in demanding or act as a law, which cannot profit as people continue to do what they know is risky, but faith is the only thing that can lead to behavior modification hence producing an ideal moral character keeping with Christian principles.The program will focus much on sexual behavior and lifestyle change through employing faith bases.
Key initiatives
- Advocacy Meetings and wide consultations with key policy/decision makers and community/religious gatekeepers at all levels to improve service provision and increase uptake of HIV prevention services. Targeted advocacy includes those to the media to promote safer sexual behavior
- Peer counseling support group(PCSP)
- Training and skills development: Training of peer educators and peer support group counselors. Principally this will actively engage in training members, volunteers and peer educators in various aspects on HIV/Aids, teenage pregnancy, counseling, substance and drug abuse within the organization mandate.
- Setting up a tele-counselling and drop in center.
- School outreaches: Junior and senior schools.
- Community outreach
- Awareness workshop
- Volunteerism: receiving volunteers from abroad, promotion of volunteer work.
- Campaigns
- School outreaches, awareness workshop and campaigns have targeted young people with messages of abstinence and delay in the onset of sexual activity, drug and substance abuse prevention, STD’s prevention, teenage and unmarried youth pregnancy and promotion of voluntary counseling and testing in the belief that young people have the greatest capacity to alter behavior when employing faith bases or Christian principles.
- Collaborating/affiliating with voluntary counseling and testing service provider (governmental and non-governmental organizations).
