THE INTERCHURCH ORGANIZATION FOR DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION
THE NETHERLANDS
 

The goal of the project: Develop/improve the already existing services for youth including: comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and education, prevention of HIV/AIDS/STI/drug use. Extend our services and other related activities to better address the needs of youth and empower them to make a better choice for themselves. The school where the project is implemented: “Asim Vokshi” High school “Partizani” High school “Petro Nini Luarasi” High school “Qemal Stafa” High school “Besnik Sykja” High school Project’s staff: Genci Mucollari Project director Irida Agolli (Nasufi) Project coordinator Orjeta Basha Finance officer Erblina Tollja Social Worker “Asim Vokshi” High school Alban Kano Social Worker “Partizani” High school Edlira Luzi Social Worker “Qemal Stafa” High school Anisa Subashi Social Worker “Petro Nini Luarasi” High school In 2004, Aksion Plus with support from ICCO started a three years intervention aiming to improve the quality of life of young people in Albania by improving their sexual and reproductive health through HIV/STI prevention activities. From the Base-line study conducted in 2005 there were some important findings The involvement of young people in such programs makes them more engaged and leaves no time and less opportunity to be involved in negative and anti-social behavior. The participation of young people in these programs enables them to stay away from adverse factors youth faces today, as well as to analyze and understand the risk attitudes and situation. Young people involved in these programs manage to understand the process of behavior change they are involved in. This motivates them to be involved in more activities, to benefit and grow as an individual. The young people are motivated because they want to contribute and be part of the changes. They report that they are motivated because they: Know new people and enjoy the company. Want to learn and observe the others work. Want to be involved and to usefully spend their energy. Have an opportunity to express their ideas and skillsThey are very sensitive towards the problems concerning their generation and have the capacities and energy to change the reality around them Young people are willing to participate in activities where they can receive valuable information that will increase their capacity and knowledge in different areas, such as trainings. But they have also a need for different cultural and entertaining activities. They see concrete benefits from the trainings they participate, which help them to develop their knowledge at school. Find warm and friendly spaces where they can express themselves without being judged by other peers. Make new acquaintances and develop their communication skills with other people. Receive new different information on youth issues, their situation, problems, rights and obligations. Commit themselves in different activities and organizational work. Young people participating in these programs feel appreciated and committed, because they have the chance to offer their contribution, listen to each-other voice, and make healthy decisions. What should be done in the next phase? Promoting girls’ empowerment and gender equality; (Gender is particularly complex since it interacts with other social factors such as economics, age, power, culture, etc. Because of this it requires responses that address both the individual and institutional levels. Young people may face considerable criticism if they are perceived to be challenging traditions and social norms. They need to know they can count on gender-sensitive adults who will support them in discussions with parents, teachers and other influential adults in their lives. It is important to continue to discuss various SRH problems – HIV/STIs, violence, unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion – in an integrated manner from a gender perspective.) Advocacy and partnerships for HIV prevention; Advocacy is an important component of human rights and HIV/AIDS work. Young people must be motivated to provide potential solutions or options to those problems, to alert policy makers to the problems and concerns of the people they represent. Young people are good partners of adults, and they must work together to contribute to a favorable and supportive environment for HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support through the formulation and implementation of relevant policies and programs, by taking the real feed-back from young people. HIV/AIDS and human rights Human rights address the needs of AIDS care, by protecting the human rights of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and HIV prevention, by working on the factors that lead towards HIV transmission. Young people must be educated and informed to elimination of stigma and discrimination, with a view to respecting human rights and encouraging greater openness concerning the epidemic. Life skills enable youth to negotiate sexual relationships, including delayed sexual initiation, addressing pressure and violence, and correctly using condoms. Promotion of life skills and peer education with children and young people, and among parents and teachers themselves is a good support for school health programs that combine school health policies, a safe and secure school environment for both teachers and learners, skills based health education and school health services. Information is necessary but knowledge alone is not sufficient to protect young people against HIV/AIDS. Young people need to be part of an interactive process of teaching and learning that helps them to acquire the knowledge, attitudes and skills to enable them to take greater responsibility for their own lives, how to resist to negative pressures, minimize harmful behaviors and make healthy life choices for their selves, peers, family and community. The youth programmes should improve, expand, be sustainable, and last longer because the effectiveness of the services can not be measured in a short time. When the services are really effective they can be largely extended, but always after an assessment of the characteristics of the region. The young people embrace easily new trends, which makes them more adaptable to new initiatives and it is easier for them to get involved. All the young people interviewed, recognize the opportunity to give ideas and be creative in the programs they are involved in. In many cases they have been the initiators and organizers of awareness campaigns. The parents see the importance of these programs in their educational and recreational role. Young people are more active, learn to express themselves better, exchange experiences with other young people, feel better, more self-confident and useful. The participation in these activities makes them more responsible and helps them to stay away from negative attitudes and vices. The parents are interested to have their children participate in these programs, because in these programs young people not only spend their free time but also learn for their life. The higher the level of the information they have the more secure they feel in avoiding risky situations. Youngsters have a continuing pressure to act as others do. They face this difficult pressure when there is lack of experience and so more to oppose it. They say that they are opened to help friends informing about what she/he needs, supporting also, referring to a specialist or contacting with her parents. Young people accept that they had the possibility to express ideas, to be creative in the programs they are included. They are responsible in their actions and they try to foresee the results of what they have in mind. Objectives: Raise the awareness of youth and other beneficiaries regarding AIDS/STI/drugs in order to ensure the physical, mental and social well being of them. Also raise the awareness of the ways in which gender inequalities and vulnerability fuel the HIV/AIDS epidemic among young people Provision of youth friendly health services, HIV/AIDS/STI/Drugs counseling and especially reproductive health services. Promote and encourage the volunteer work with full participation of youth in all the activities. Build skills of youth, staff, peer educators, teachers, parents and volunteers in many aspects (i.e. to elaborate programmes of information, education and communication concerning youth problems in general) To prepare and distribute youth-targeted IEC materials that promote healthy sexual behaviors To increase advocacy on HIV/AIDS prevention and drug abuse with the aim of raising consciousness and prompting actions among policymakers, parliamentarians, government officials, media journalists and local authorities. Activities Providing social services in the field of: AIDS/Sexual Transmitted Infections (STI), drug and alcohol prevention activities Preparation of publications and other informative materials Dissemination of information, playing the role of the information office for youth run by youth. Certain interventions will be carried out (such as: distributing of leaflets, condoms, information materials, referral addresses, providing counseling and peer training, social support and other advises to handle their situation) Maintain contacts and strengthen collaboration with other NPOs, ICCO partners in Albania, agencies, Media and Governmental structures. We will promote the establishment of other youth associations and strengthen the institutional capacities of the existing youth groups through small grants. Setting up counseling room in the schools (youth friendly service) Joint activities with other structures, parents, teachers, policymakers, NPO s, various groups of stakeholders. Extended events on World AIDS Day, Health Day, Day Against Drugs, Day of Population and other related activities. Counseling and Hot-Line about Reproductive health, AIDS/STI, prostitution Networking and relevant advisory services that will be provided on request Activities in schools by selecting peer educators, setting up youth clubs inside school settings. Training is one of the mayor components of our HIV prevention strategy. The most vital part of the communication process is to learn and listen before you attempt to convey your knowledge. Training seminars, workshops, round tables for: peer educators, youth popular opinion leaders, training of trainers, NGO members, human right activists, young men in uniforms youth volunteer work Management and Public relations Reproductive health, Family Planning, AIDS/STI and sexual health in general Drug prevention and Harm reduction Institutionalization of the project In 2004, the Regional Educational Directory of Tirana started to implement a similar intervention, a project totally based in the experience of Aksion Plus in high schools. Two round tables have been organized to share the experience and staff of Aksion Plus has been asked to provide training for the psychologists. The daily plan of school counselors has been based on the experience provided by Aksion Plus. Another round table is planned for this September. Lessons learned School counselor could be a model to change not only individual behaviors, but collective attitude as well. It has helped to shift the mentality about the role of psychosocial help in the areas where the project was implemented. Creative and innovative ways should be found to combine school activities with extracurricular and community based activities Behavior change happens not due to only information and education. It requires other approaches, such as inclusion of targeted groups and giving opportunity to young people to practice the new attitudes and new behaviors in order for them to make it integral and sustainable. Social workers and school counselors could be great and powerful advocates for the rights of young people. Project management and reporting should be decentralized. Schools should have their local plan of activities Space is a very important element in such projects. In the two high schools where the room was existing “Asim Vokshi” and Partizani high school, the number of students visiting and benefiting from counseling was higher. Additionally, project planning and documentation was better done. Such projects should go parallel with other interventions in the education system, such as teachers training and participatory teaching methods.

P Role Plays with the trainees Group discussion after the brainstorming session Population Day activity in Durres with youngsters from Tirana and Durres