Healthefoundation HIV education and prevention training

The Community[e]Education program addresses HIV/AIDS prevention in an interactive way that can be adjusted to specific needs per group. It is designed for healthcare workers to reach out to the community with tools to stimulate discussions in children and adolescents about sex in general and HIV and its transmission in particular. It uses a variety of engaging media such as animations, cartoons, 'trigger' tapes, and interactive games to explain and inform about general health, HIV/AIDS, treatment, treatment failure (resistance, toxicity), and safe sex. It also includes instructions on how to teach the principles of life skills-based education, which provides a balance of knowledge, attitudes, and communicative and negotiation skills.

Health[e]Foundation deliberately chose to channel its efforts through healthcare workers, due to the fact that they are confronted with the disease and its consequences on a daily basis. With their knowledge and experience, trained healthcare workers are able to discuss HIV/AIDS as professionals in the field without stigma and discrimination. Since they are able to reach beyond cultural and social boundaries of schools and workplaces in their communities, in time healthcare workers can expand and deepen awareness about HIV/AIDS.

The program is not only intended for those in resource poor settings. The Community[e]Education training toolkit has been implemented in The Netherlands and adapted as a School project for high school students to openly discuss issues related to sex and disease prevention.

Agree/Disagree, an interactive game in the training toolkit

Program Structure

Introductory training
An introductory training is provided to healthcare workers during the closing workshop of one of the other Health[e]Foundation trainings.  This training provides the healthcare workers with the tools to distribute prevention education to teachers, community members, and peer educators in their communities.

Community education
Healthcare workers go to schools in their own community to provide life skills-based education with a focus on HIV/AIDS.  They pass on their knowledge about health education, using the Community[e]Education training manual and a training toolkit with a variety of resources to choose from.  Community members can then continue the legacy of providing prevention education in their own communities using these tools.