During FY2008, the Siyafundisa (Zulu for “Teaching Our Children”) Project led 114 training programs through which it trained 3,093 Field Workers, Peer Educators, Peer Education Supervisors, and Life Skills Facilitators.  This represents 131% of the target of 2,360 that the Project set out to train, per the FY2008 Country Operational Plan (COP).  Those trained have received teachings on HIV prevention, stigma reduction, training and interpersonal skills, mentoring, facilitation, gender, STIs, VCT, program planning, data collection and reporting. 

The 3,093 trained represents almost a tripling of the number trained in FY2007 (860).  This rapid expansion was possible because of available funding, enabling the hiring and training of additional staff; the facilitating of exceptional teamwork; and a high level of commitment and energy on the part of both staff and volunteers.  This past year, the Project lost only one staff member in South Africa (husband relocated). Everyone working on the project acknowledges a very real and significant commitment to the Project and the work it is doing.  The high level of staff retention is a significant Project strength. The people who work on the Project care passionately about it.  Good sound leadership has its rewards! 

 

During FY2008, Siyafundisa reached 4,405 young people with HIV prevention messages AND the skills critical to acting on that information.  These young people have been reached through structured sessions where they discuss HIV/AIDS and stigma, values, relationships, love, bullying and explore self-esteem, gender imbalance, decision-making, caring and support, peer pressure and more.  The project “reaches” rather than “preaches;” it engages the youth in exploring where their values and self-interest lie and reinforcing these.  Each young person is encouraged to think and act for him/herself. 

 

No individual is counted as reached unless they have attended three or more structured peer education lessons in line with current behavior change communication theory requiring repeated exposure in order to change attitudes and knowledge and thus impact on behavior.

 

Of the 4,405 young people the Project has reached, 1,709 are 10-13 year olds with whom an emphasis on abstinence only message is used.  (The average age of sexual debut in South Africa is 14.)  Below this age, the Project can (relatively safely) assume limited, if any, sexual activity.  Programs are, again, age appropriate and geared to reinforcing existing (church, family and cultural) values.