WESTLANDS NAIROBI, Kenya – The meeting room in the Jacaranda Hotel was as non-descript as most meeting rooms with institutional cream walls and empty flip charts waiting to be filled with action plans. There was no air conditioning to combat the heat, but the open windows let in a warm breeze blowing fresh air from the lush lawn outside. The 16 trainees looked uncomfortable even though they had volunteered for this HIV/AIDS Awareness and Prevention Training Program which is revolutionary for Kenya. During the first of the 10 all-day sessions they became more uncomfortable as sexual organs were discussed, but by the end of the two weeks, they had not only relaxed they had bonded in ways they never had during their work together. At the end they left with a new mission. The trainees were all Afya SACCO (credit union) employees. Afya is headquartered in Nairobi. The 31-year-old SACCO has 40,000 members who work in the healthcare industry throughout this African nation. Its assets are US$575 million. Candidates were required to write two essays, one in English and one in Kiswahili to prove their motivation and communication skills. English and Kiswahili are Kenya's two official languages. The essays were used to make the final selection from a long list of volunteers. Although the participants received a travel reimbursement for the training, when they go into the field to apply the training it will be beyond the duties of their regular jobs and without additional monetary compensation. The program was developed by the World Council of Credit Unions working with JHIPIEGO, the international health organization affiliated with John Hopkins University. Additional funding comes from the United States Aid for International Development. The goal is to provide technical assistance for the development and replication of state-of-the-art HIV/AIDS prevention programs. This is a three step-program. First step was the identification of participants who had some baseline knowledge and a great deal of motivation. The second was this 10-day training-the-trainers' program to the selected Afya staff. That training was completed Dec. 9, 2005. The 16 participants will now hold HIV/AIDS awareness training at credit union branches throughout Kenya. This three-step model program will be evaluated for effectiveness and success of peer education and awareness in HIV/AIDS. The group worked from 8 a.m to 4 p.m. each day with lunch and two tea breaks. Despite their initial nervousness, the group soon became comfortable, even participating in a condom relay race. "It's important, because none of the participants can expect to be successful in breaking through barriers of ignorance and denial if they themselves cannot be comfortable with their own sexuality," WOCCU representative on the project Molly Schar said. "In the first week, the JHPIEGO facilitators conducted sessions on planning presentations, creating a positive learning climate, using audio-visual aids, delivering interactive presentations, using assessment instruments," Shar said. The group also worked on understanding peer leadership and participatory processes. Leaders introduced condom usage instruction with anatomic models, giving basic facts about HIV/AIDS and comprehensive HIV/AIDS care, which included infection prevention, psychosocial support, socioeconomic support, human rights and legal support and referrals and linkages. During the second week, the workshop was turned over to the participants who conducted training exercises with coaching from the facilitators. "We worked on risk assessment, getting familiar with condoms, the link between alcohol use and HIV/AIDS, negotiating for safer sex, analysis of presentation skills, and the development of post-course action plans," Shar said, not easy topics. HIV/AIDS carry real social stigma in most African countries. Kenya, with a life expectancy of just under 48 years, is no exception to this attitude. One of the participants, Dionne N. Mulumba, 24, and a public relations officer in Afya's headquarters, said she wanted to participate because she knows "the impact HIV/AIDS is having on members of the SACCO. The training can reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS because SACCOs reach the common person even in the village unreachable by other organizations. I want to impact on people's lives positively, both the infected and the affected, through hope, love and care," she said. Unlike most management training courses the program was infused with hope, love and care. -

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