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AFRICA HIV/AIDS EDUCATION AND PREVENTION

Program Summary
Participating Communities
Best Practices and Lessons Learned
Partner Organizations
Read the brochure about this project

For more information about this program, contact Jim Doumas at jdoumas@sister-cities.org or phone 202.347.8630 ext. 8636

Program Summary

 The United States Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs awarded a grant to Sister Cities International in April 2003 to create low cost and innovative HIV/AIDS prevention and intervention strategies. Six U.S. communities and their African counterparts in Ghana and Kenya were selected through a competitive process to receive grants of $20,000 each.

The objectives of the grant were to:
  • Encourage U.S. communities and their African counterparts to work together to identify and implement creative community-based initiatives.
  • Create an HIV prevention/education program for the African community that is low cost, useful, effective, and changes behavior.
  • Train community leaders in a community process that will be useful for this program and for future initiatives.
  • Engage in grassroots mobilization and advocacy to affect change.
  • Empower local communities to establish their own programs without waiting for central government officials to respond to the crisis.
  • Track measurable results to ensure that lessons learned can be effectively and broadly communicated to other communities throughout Africa and in other countries vulnerable to the virus.
  • Ensure that the program continues after the initial exchanges have taken place.

Each of the sister city pairs executed both incoming and outgoing exchanges. The African counterparts visited the U.S. in July 2003 to participate in the Community Leadership Workshop, led with the assistance of Alliance of Mayor's Initiatives for Community Action on AIDS at the Local Level (AMICAALL). Immediately following, each group returned to their appropriate U.S. sister city for study tours and training on HIV/AIDS prevention. These visits gave the participants an excellent opportunity to finalize their action plans and lay the framework for the project. Since then, all of the communities have implemented their action plans.

Particapting Communities

Amesbury, Massachusetts and Esabalu, Kenya
Newburyport, Massachusetts and Bura, Kenya
Lansing, Michigan and Akuapem South District, Ghana
Grand Rapids, Michigan and Ga District, Ghana
Hanover Park, Illinois and Cape Coast, Ghana
Oakland, California and Sekondi Takoradi, Ghana

Amesbury, Massachusetts and Esabalu, Kenya

The Amesbury, Massachusetts and Esabalu, Kenya project advanced HIV/AIDS education and treatment in Esabalu. The project involved exchanges involving 10 people over the course of 8 months. These exchanges included community health workers from Esabalu visiting Amesbury to develop new techniques to educate others in the Esabalu community about HIV/AIDS by touring 16 different organizations in the HIV/AIDS field. The Esabalu Health Group participated in "training of trainers" courses and as a result, held education sessions for 50 community leaders from government, churches, schools, and women's groups in Esabalu. Esabalu community health workers also received training in collecting specimens for HIV testing, providing counseling, and providing home-based care, as Amesbury youth raised funds to purchase necessary equipment for the establishment of an AIDS testing center in the village.

Amesbury volunteers visited Esabalu in 2004, during which two high school students from Amesbury discussed HIV/AIDS with their fellow youth and visited HIV/AIDS treatment and education facilities. Upon returning to Amesbury, the students presented a report to the Interact Club and pledged to raise money for Esabalu's new youth theater troupe, which disseminates HIV/AIDS information. During a second outgoing exchange in June 2004, the Amesbury delegation visited a number of sites to view the HIV/AIDS care, education, and testing centers in operation.

The grant has had a multiplier effect in improving general community awareness of HIV, the knowledge and skills of the AIDS caregivers and health volunteers, and the health infrastructure of a rural area severely affected by AIDS. The sister city partners plan to continue their work focusing on HIV/AIDS beyond the scope of this grant. A new health clinic, built by funds raised in Amesbury separate from this grant, is expected to be completed in July 2005. With the help of Kisumu Hospice, a hospice program will be developed for the Esabalu health clinic, and counseling and testing will also be available with the help of Maseno University. Please visit www.amesburyforafrica.org for more information.

Newburyport, Massachusetts and Bura, Kenya

The Newburyport-Bura project started with outgoing exchanges in January 2004. During this trip, the team worked with their counterparts in Bura to:
  • Assess the HIV/AIDS prevention, outreach, and education needs of the community.
  • Develop an action plan for training in the U.S.
  • Meet with community leaders, educators, and volunteers (particularly youth) engaged in outreach efforts.
  • Conduct public forums to address questions about HIV and to provide information about the project.
  • Meet with larger local NGOs outside of the Bura area to explore the possibility of linking services to Bura.
The team provided training and outreach alongside their Kenyan counterparts to over 14 groups including medical clinics in Bura, youth groups, primary and secondary schools in the area, the Voluntary Testing and Counseling (VCT) Center in Voi, and community meetings.

Using the results of their own fundraising efforts, the team presented small starter funds to four youth prevention groups and one VCT center. They also distributed HIV/AIDS education materials in both Swahili and English. Upon return from their outgoing exchange, the Newburyport team held presentations and gave a slide show about their trip and this project to the larger community. Three Bura residents traveled to the United States to study for three weeks, which focused on counseling and training skills, outreach to youth, and home based care for HIV/AIDS. For more information, visit www.masskenya.org.

Lansing, Michigan and Akuapem South District, Ghana

Lansing and Akuapem expanded their already strong sister city partnership through exchanges of technical assistance and expertise in the area of HIV/AIDS education. Their project was directed primarily at youth in Akuapem with the goal of preventing and controlling the spread of HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI). The project had five components:
  • Needs assessment: The results indicated a need to focus on combating stigma and discrimination and tailor prevention messages to address these issues and how to cope with loss.
  • Youth Peer Education: The project established clubs in secondary schools and rural communities in the district. The clubs serve to train youth about HIV/AIDS prevention and simple advocacy and communication skills.
  • Adult empowerment: To respond to the fact that youth need adult role models, part of the project included training for adults.
  • Ongoing communication: Lansing donated laptop computers to the project leaders to facilitate communication and provide them with easier access to information.
  • Economic Development: Lansing and Akuapem created a food security program to help promote sustainable income for vulnerable families.

During the grant period a total of 5 people from Akuapem visited the U.S. Six primary people from Lansing traveled to Akuapem as part of this grant. In addition, trips related to other projects allowed over 100 U.S. visitors to learn about the important HIV/AIDS work related to this grant.

Throughout the project, Lansing provided curriculum materials, teaching aids, publicity posters, brochures, and flyers. Lansing also provided 40 bicycles to be used by outreach workers as part of the project to reach outlying areas. Based on the success of this program, the partners expanded to Nysakye, another village in the district. Lansing and other partners in Michigan are building a health clinic, which will be devoted to HIV/AIDS patients. In relation to this project, Akuapem has a great need for an orphanage, as the existing orphanage houses only 16 children. Lansing is working on fundraising to build a better facility and to provide school fees for the 16 children. To learn more, visit their website at www.lansingsc.org.

Grand Rapids, Michigan and Ga District, Ghana

Grand Rapids Sister Cities International (GRSCI) implemented a Training of Trainers Model of Saving Our Selves (SOS) and the Next Generation, an HIV/AIDS education and prevention program aimed at youth. In addition to HIV/AIDS, SOS also teaches about other STIs. It was also supplemented by a post-pregnancy simulation experience, Baby Think It Over (BTIO). SOS is designed to promote abstinence and/or safe sex practices, while BTIO provides a simulated teen motherhood experience.

In December 2003, two trainers from Grand Rapids traveled to Ga District to hold the first training with their counterparts. Eleven teams of trainees and two Ga District Coordinators were trained, using hands-on techniques, to implement the SOS program. The teams continued to use the SOS model with students throughout the Ga District, resulting in over 255 people having been formally trained. They estimate that 10,000 students were educated through this model. This method has become part of the curriculum at schools throughout the Ga District. In addition, each school has added an HIV/AIDS focal person to their school boards. After school clubs focusing on HIV/AIDS were established at 82 schools in the Ga District. The Director of Education has also mandated that ten minutes of school worship time be devoted to HIV/AIDS education. The sister city partners plan to continue their efforts by establishing a community radio station in the Ga District as a vehicle to increase HIV/AIDS awareness and education.

Hanover Park, Illinois and Cape Coast, Ghana

After strategic planning sessions with Hanover Park Sister Cities, three members of the Cape Coast Sister Cities contacted 150 organizations including schools, churches, and community centers and were granted permission to hold HIV/AIDS education and prevention workshops. To date, they have given presentations at approximately 50 institutions reaching out to roughly 7,500 middle and high school students. The age of the students ranged from 10 to18 years old. They have also begun to reach out to the adult population and have held 4 presentations at church groups and social clubs. It is estimated that 2,000 adults have been reached in this manner.

Cape Coast has also developed "Virgin Clubs". These clubs include anyone who has never had sexual relations, individuals who have had sexual relations but who pledge from this day forth not to have further sexual relations until marriage, and those in a committed relationship who vow to be faithful to their partner. The main objectives of the clubs are to maintain HIV negative status and stay healthy, to stay up to date on HIV/AIDS information, and to provide care and compassion for people living with HIV. They created virgin clubs at ten schools, with each club having an average attendance of 50 students. For more information, visit hanoverparkillinois.org.

Oakland, California and Sekondi Takoradi, Ghana

The Oakland-Sekondi Takoradi project targets the traditional Chiefs and Queen Mothers of Takoradi. Workshops, held in partnership with local NGOs, enabled these leaders to promote HIV/AIDS education in their communities and to help remove the stigma surrounding people living with HIV. Oakland and Sekondi Takoradi worked together to develop printed materials to distribute during these workshops. The brochures focused on four areas of HIV/AIDS prevention and education: abstinence, the basics, the answers and young women. The 1000 brochures will be distributed to community-based organizations (CBOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others working on HIV prevention and at the Queen Mothers HIV education and training workshop in Sekondi Takoradi.

Best Practices and Lessons Learned

For many of the participating communities, it was their first time implementing a grant of this magnitude. Despite the challenges associated with unfamiliarity, the teams were able to creatively mobilize people and resources to increase HIV/AIDS prevention and education efforts. Each sister cities partnership used the grant funding to leverage local financial resources and in-kind contributions. All of the partnerships strengthened their sister city relationships while addressing HIV/AIDS. Through unique prevention and education messages, the partnerships were able to raise awareness both in the U.S. community and in the African community. Most of the partnerships challenged themselves to address the care of vulnerable persons, as well as health infrastructure needs, through funds raised outside of the grant.

Partner Organizations

AMICAALL
Sister Cities International's partner in this program was the Alliance of Mayors Initiative for Community Action on AIDS at the Local Level (AMICAALL). The overall goal of the Alliance is to promote actions that contribute to limiting the spread of HIV and alleviating the social and economic impact of the epidemic on communities in Africa. It was formed to promote an expanded, multi-sectoral response to the epidemic at the local level, working in partnership with government, civil society organizations, the private sector, and local communities.

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