Insika Ya Kusasa (Pillars of Tomorrow) Job Aids, Eswatini

Pact, in partnership with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, is supporting the government in accelerating Eswatini’s progress toward the 95-95-95 targets and sustainable HIV epidemic control by preventing new infections and reducing the vulnerability of two key groups, orphans and vulnerable children and adolescent girls and young women.

During the five-year project, called Insika Ya Kusasa (Pillars of Tomorrow), the Pact consortium, which includes civil society organizations in Swaziland, is building socio-economic resilience to the impact of HIV among key groups and increasing uptake of high-impact services for HIV, sexual and reproductive health, family planning and gender-based violence.

These job aids were developed for use in Insika Ya Kusasa’s mentorship groups for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW):

• Alcohol Use and Abuse in My Community – This interactive job aid helps AGYW recognise the dangers of alcohol, impaired decision-making and vulnerability to violence, as well as identify strategies to stay safe in unsafe spaces
• A Partner Who Cares – This interactive job aid explores the qualities and actions of a caring partner and identifies protective actions that can lower risk.
• My Children and Me – This interactive job aid covers the basics of fertility, how to plan for having children, understanding the methods, advantages, and disadvantages of contraceptive types, and how to protect children through preventing mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services.
• Protecting the Men in My Life – This interactive job aims to empower AGYW to influence and support the men in their lives to access key health services that will benefit them both (e.g., VMMC, STI screening and treatment).
• PREP and PEP – This interactive job aid discusses PrEP as a new HIV prevention option for AGYW who are particularly vulnerable to HIV and aims to help participants understand how PrEP and PEP work to prevent HIV, as well as the differences between the two services.
• Living Positively with HIV – This interactive job aid focuses on life after HIV diagnosis and what living positively entails. It explores where AGYW can access ART and how they can stay on treatment. It also focusses on stigma and discrimination of HIV positive individuals and how AGYW can be positive-living activists.
• Why I Matter Most – This interactive job aid aims to strengthen AGYW’s self-esteem and sense of value or worth and reassert personal dreams and goals.
• Becoming Less Dependent – This interactive job aid aims to help AGYW stand on their own and not depend on a man for everything, and also learn how being independent can bring positive change to one’s life and relationships.
• Getting the Love I Deserve – This interactive job aid covers the basics of healthy relationships, as well as introduces gender norms and minimizing the risk of gender-based violence.
• How Can I Protect Myself with Condoms? – This interactive job aid reviews the common myths and misconceptions around condoms, describes the specifics of male and female condoms, and reviews how to talk to your partner about using a condom.
• What Services are Available for Me? – This interactive job aid covers the HIV Basic Facts – transmission and prevention, AGYW risk factors, and overviews developing risk reduction/health plan/mentorship plan.
• My Needs and Priorities – This interactive job aid covers the HIV Basic Facts – transmission and prevention, AGYW risk factors, and overviews developing risk reduction/health plan/mentorship plan.
• Working with 9-14 year Olds, Part 1 – This interactive set of job aids was developed specifically to be used with 9-14 year olds. The sessions cover topics such as self-esteem and confidence, body changes during young adulthood, gender norms, recognizing and avoiding risky situations, staying safe, and communication needs and goals.
• Working with 9-14 Year Olds, Part 2 – This interactive set of job aids was developed specifically to be used with 9-14 year olds. The sessions cover topics such building self-esteem and self-confidence, understanding friendships and romantic relationships, and understanding and creating boundaries in relationships.

Source: Pact, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Date of Publication: August 18, 2020