HIV/AIDS education for a young person from Mozambique

Fighting prejudices with football, dance and theatre

Children and young people work together to fight HIV/AIDS

Why can you get malaria from a mosquito bite but not HIV/AIDS? And why can the prick of a used syringe be so dangerous? Junito from the youth organization AJUPIS answers these and other questions patiently and clearly. The questions are put to him by students at a secondary school in Matendene, a suburb of the Mozambican capital Maputo. The young people are in the 10th grade and are between 14 and 16 years old. HIV/AIDS is widespread in the cities and young people are most at risk. Despite this, AIDS is still a taboo subject that parents do not talk about with their children. It also only appears in passing in school curricula. In addition, lessons in Mozambique are very frontal, so there are hardly any opportunities for questions and discussions. AJUPIS fills this gap with its own educational events in schools.

need

HIV/AIDS education for children and young people from Matendene, a suburb of Maputo.

activity

The youth organization AJUPIS conducts educational and awareness-raising events on HIV/AIDS in schools and the neighborhood, supported by its dance and theater group.

Measurable performance

Number of students who know how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS.

Result

More students and young people are informed about how HIV/AIDS is transmitted, prevention and treatment options and are applying their knowledge.

Systemically relevant impact

In the long term, the aim is to reduce the number of new HIV/AIDS infections among children and adolescents.

background

The numbers speak for themselves: in Mozambique, around 15% of the population aged between 15 and 49 are HIV-positive, that is 1.6 million people (UNAIDS, 2013). In Mozambique, the immune deficiency disease mainly affects women, city dwellers and the inhabitants of the southern and central regions. Tests and medication for HIV/AIDS are not available or accessible to everyone, especially in rural areas.

The following factors are contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS in Mozambique: low use of condoms, high levels of mobility and migration, gender inequality and sexual violence. This also has an impact on children and young people. In Mozambique there are around 810,000 children who have lost their parents to AIDS. They are often left to fend for themselves. They have to do housework, cook meals and look after other siblings. As children they already take on the responsibilities of an adult - there is rarely time for a carefree childhood.

The good deed

AJUPIS focuses on children and young people: health organizations such as UNAIDS see the 12 to 25 age group as one of the largest target groups for educational work. AJUPIS holds educational events in schools, communities and local markets. The AJUPIS dance group or the theater group are used in the events in public places. Both groups make the topic of HIV/AIDS very clear for the audience. AJUPIS also carries out home visits, reaching around 600 families. The annual soccer tournament also reaches a further 1,000 people.

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