Twinkle Little Stars

As the future to the country’s development and economy, adolescents are a focus sub population in the reducing new HIV infections. Through the global fund HIV prevention program, a focus towards behavior change communication, biomedical interventions and structural approach are used in breaching the menace. Evidence based interventions (Healthy choices for a better future for ages 10-13, My Health My choice for ages 14-17) aimed at raising youths’ awareness on sexual risks, improving sexual safety by identifying risky settings and enhancing communication, negotiation and refusal skills
reached 160 (35M ,125F) AYPs spread across South East and West Alego wards. For age 18- 24 years, the organization designed a peer mentorship program that is “Risk reduction and
mentorship for life skills building and mentorship purpose”, which reached 150 AYPs in the quarter (January-March 2023).

To incorporate biomedical aspects, AYP community outreaches have been conducted in all the 6 wards of Alego – Usonga Sub County with targeted mobilization through peer to peer approach reaching a total of 416 AYPs with health education, screening for STIs &TB, and risk assessment. These community led activities reached a total of 159 (50M, 109F) adolescents aged 15 years and above with HIV testing, with none turning positive.

This AYP module has provided a greater opportunity for awareness creation and advocacy on GBV, SRH-R and HIV, and has seen most young people exhibit significant change in their behavior and great response in uptake of prevention services and retention to care. GBV as mainstreamed in all the modules especially “know your rights sessions”, GBV legal support has been core for all the activities around AYP. Paralegals have played pivotal roles in screening for and follow up of GBV cases to ensure all cases are reported accordingly. This has been of great impact as GLOBCOM currently facilitates follow up of 15 active S-GBV related cases filed in court.