i-READY Burundi
This project has ended
At a glance:
Partners:
The International HIV/AIDS Alliance,
RNJ+ & ABS
When?
January 2018 to June 2019
Where?
Burundi
Thematic Area?
Health and Wellbeing
ICTs: Social media (pop up messages, podcast, on-line platform) and radio programmes.
i-READY Burundi
The project will add a new and important component to the existing READY programmes (Resilient & Empowered Adolescents & Young People), that the Alliance is currently leading with consortium partners in Mozambique, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Uganda and Ethiopia. In Burundi, the implementing partner RNJ+ have contributed to one of the radio programs and would like to build on this work in a more systematic way.
The key groups are adolescents aged 10-19 years living with HIV or not, at risk/affected by HIV. This includes disabled, adolescents using drugs, selling sex or sexual minority, not in school, homeless, teenage mothers, married adolescent girls and boys.
The i-READY project will resilient and empower adolescents and young people who are better informed. Adolescents who can make healthier choices and demand for their rights. The project will also increase access to, use of, and retention in high quality HIV and SRHR services that are responsible to the specific needs of adolescents and young people.
The project is a join Partnership between SPIDER and International HIV/AIDS Alliance in collaboration with RNJ+ and ABS.
Challenges to adress
In Burundi, recent data shows a high prevalence rate of HIV amount adolescents. Many young people face elevated risk to contract HIV during their adolescence. Adolescents and young people are vulnerable to HIV and SRHR due to lack or limited access and accurate information related to drugs, sexual debut, alcohol, HIV, or spaces where they can feel comfortable and secure to discuss and questions about these issues. More work need to be done in prevention, care, treatment and support services in HIV and SHRH area.
Activities
This project will complement the current communications work being developed by the READY+ consortium.
i-READY Burundi will utilise ICT to improve access to youth friendly comprehensive HIV and SRHR information so that adolescents and young people are better informed to make healthier choices about important issues that affect their everyday lives. It will raise awareness of, and increased demand for, existing youth friendly HIV and SRHR services using ICT.
Radio programmes will be broadcast by trained adolescents in different thematic area on HIV and SRHR. Podcast and Social media discussions and questions will be created to accompany the radio programmes. Personal service announcement will be produced to generate and increased demand foe services.
SDG’s selected for the follow up.
The International HIV/AIDS Alliance
The International HIV/AIDS Alliance (the Alliance) was founded in 1993 to support community groups in countries most affected by the global HIV crisis. The Alliance offers a vision and a way of working that would put communities at the centre of the response in order to provide effective local solutions. They currently work with communities in over 40 countries to take local, national and global action on HIV, health and human rights.
National Network of Young People Living with HIV in Burundi (RNJ+)
RNJ+ are a youth led network supported by ABS and an existing implementing partner of READY Teens. They provide peer-led HIV and SRHR services to those most affected by HIV, this includes people living with HIV, LGBT youth and young people who sell sex. RNJ+ uses innovative youth-friendly strategies.
Alliance Burundaise contre le SIDA (ABS)
ABS are an accredited member organisation of the Alliance and an existing implementing partner of READY Teens in Burundi. ABS is a national network of over 342 organisations responding to HIV. They provide strong community links and reach, and country level coordination in Burundi. They also provide M&E support to RNJ+.