Project 'Know Yourself" and project "HEART"

know yourself

Project “know youeself”:

The project is about a implementation toolkit which is “know yourself“.

Objectives:

To reduce the pre-martial sexual behavior among young men and to improve in adolescents reproductive health knowledge.

Effect of the project:

1. Premarital sexual behavior among male adolescents decreased significantly between 2004 and 2005 in the intervention areas.

2. Adolescent knowledge of reproductive health increased.


3. Perceived support of abstinence until marriage and other safer sex practices improved.


Included material:
“Know Yourself” program has included radio, TV magazine programs.

At concluding:

The result from the study suggest that community based workshops, implemented using the “Know Yourself” toolkit can effectively address of the psychological factors and behaviors related to the adolescents reproductive health.



HEART Program--Hope for an HIV/AIDS-Free Future

HEART Program:

“Helping Each other Act Responsibly Together” or “HEART” program is designed by youth, for youth and informs the young adults about HIV/AIDS and discuss ways to prevent HIV/AIDS and promotes abstinence and condom use.

Formula and the development:

The programs first three phases focused on promoting abstinence or in the absence of abstinence, correct and consistent condom use and try to dispel some untrue believes.

To achieve broader youth involvement, HEART included a “Youth Advisory Group” consisting of 35-40 young people from 11 youth organizations to advise the design team.

The YAG developed communication objectives and messages for abstinent males, abstinent females, inconsistent male condom user, all ages 13-19 years.

They pre-tested messages through focus group discussion and interviews including Television broadcast and print materials.

64% of the urban and 14% of the rural respondents were aware of the projects.

By 2003, viewers promoted condom use and 53% of the viewers took at least one action prescribed in the campaign

Radio is widely available in rural Zambia and the messages were broadcasts in five regional languages.

In concluding:

The “HEART” program largely met its goals. HEART project successfully increases awareness of AIDS and reduced unsafe sex. The HEART program should be expanded as much as possible; especially in the rural areas where it has been harder to reach so far.