Adolescents' HIV Prevention and Treatment Literacy Toolkit for Eastern and Southern Africa

The Adolescents' HIV Prevention and Treatment Toolkit for Eastern and Southern Africa is made up of 10 publications which are designed to help young people better understand HIV and what it means in their lives. The Toolkit, also known as Young Champions (YC) Support Pack, includes resources for facilitators or Young Champions working on HIV issues, as well as workbooks for different age groups. Together, the resources are intended to support the facilitators (teachers, social workers, youth leaders, or health workers who have undergone training) and young people themselves. They are intended to create more awareness about HIV, including increasing knowledge and skills related to prevention, testing, disclosing, being a young person living with HIV (YPLHIV), and treatment.
The Toolkit resulted from collaboration between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa and SAfAIDS and was produced as part of the Young Champions (YC) initiative. It is intended primarily for use in schools, though can also be used in other settings. "Ideally, the Young Champions Support Pack helps you 'bridge the gap' between school, home and community efforts to support young people as a high risk group in the response to HIV and help create an HIV free generation."
The publications in the Toolkit include the following:

• Facilitator's Guide: developed for teachers, school staff, and counsellors, this guide uses a training of trainers approach so that those introduced to the pack can teach others how to use it. It also includes advocacy support to help build a Young Champions Circle at community level.
• Reference Handbook for Young Champions Facilitators: for trained facilitators to use as a go-to resource for facts and other information on HIV prevention and treatment relating to adolescents.
• Workbooks: the three workbooks - for ages 10 to 12, 13 to 15, and 16 to 19 - take young people (individually and in groups) through age appropriate activities on each learning topic.
• Educator Cards: because it is school-based, these 11 educator cards are designed to help prompt discussion at appropriate times in the classroom. They allow the YC materials to be more mobile.
• Board Game Quiz Cards: designed to encourage open discussion among young people about HIV and sexual rights and health-related services.

The kits are being rolled out by UNESCO across Eastern and Southern Africa.