Background
AIDS is one of the greatest threats to development. Organisations in the Kicking AIDS Out network are united around their use of sport as a tool to actively enhance life skills development to prevent the spread of HIV, discourage stigmatisation and promote healthy lifestyles for people living with HIV and AIDS.
Kicking AIDS Out integrates HIV/AIDS education and life skills messages into sport and physical activity programs, with a view to engage youth in productive activity and integrates health promotion. Trained community based Kicking AIDS Out youth leaders are integrating the Kicking AIDS Out concept into movement games, sport and traditional activities to engage young people in lessons about life skills, leadership and communication. These Kicking AIDS Out leaders are making inroads in the fight against HIV and AIDS in many of the communities that these programs are operating.
Training Pathway and Assessment tools
The Kicking AIDS Out Training Pathway and Assessment Tools have been finalised and uploaded on the Intranet/Database for the Kicking AIDS Out under materials. A copy of both has been sent to all members of the Network. We believe these tools will help organizations to quality assure the implementation of Kicking AIDS Out trainings, give guidance to the roles, mentorship and support of the trained leaders. We are very proud of this achievement.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Supplementary Curriculum / Guide Development
In November 2006 during the Kicking AIDS Out Biennial meeting that was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania a small working group was identified to look at possibilities of formulating the Kicking AIDS Out Training Pathway with a focus on identifying provision of accurate sexual health and sexuality information. This had been identified by practitioners, leaders and health administrators as an area that needs further attention and development by the network.
This gap resulted from lack of information, education and the inherent reluctance and discomfort associated with the topic – since sexual health is value laden. It had become apparent that effective teaching about HIV and AIDS must include having a sound grasp of sexual health in a much more direct and intentional fashion. This includes understanding the values associated with the concept, one’s own as well as how they influence transmission of information, education and ultimately infections. Moreover the cultural context of sexuality and sexual health must be explored and deconstructed.
This guide is currently being developed and will be finalized in June 2010. It is anticipated that this guides will be incorporated in trainings in 2011 after having a Trainer of Trainer workshop with the identified Master Trainers later in the year. The working group will be charged with the responsibility of integrating these concepts into the Kicking AIDS Out curriculum and trainings in their organisations and input in to the development of this supplementary curriculum.
It is believed that these guidelines will strengthen the Kicking AIDS Out training curriculum and methodology to include a stronger sexual and reproductive health foundation. A strong and detailed guideline with suggested themes for review, activities to consider with each theme, and creative ways to integrate the curriculums developed to correspond to the various training levels (Peer Leader and Leader Level 1) is currently being developed.
This process has been made possible by the working group of Kicking AIDS Out Leader Level 2’s that was formed in August 2009; Ms Seodhna Keown, a sport for development consultant and current Masters of Public Health candidate at the University of Toronto in collaboration City of Toronto Public Health and the Kicking AIDS Out Training and Development Officer.
Please find below the names and organizations where the working group members come from:
Jacquelean Wanyonyi – Mathare Youth Sports Assation Kenya
Frankson Mushindu – Sports in Action Zambia
Patrick Mweshi – EDUSPORT Zambia
Sara Marshall – SCORE South Africa
Boitumelo Magosi – SEDYEL Botswana
Thaisa Hlapane – OYAP Lesotho
George Nange – Kicking AIDS Out Secretariat
A guide to Linking sport and Lifeskill
In November, 2009 the Kicking AIDS Out Secretariat brought together coaches, sports instructors and practitioners at Stellenbosch University, in Cape Town to work towards the development of sport specific training modules in football, volleyball, basketball and netball as tools to communicate life skills messages to participants. The objective of the meeting was to develop modules that will equip coaches with skills on how to; reflect on sport specific activities, derive learning from it and apply the learning in a practical manner that will enable children and youth to learn and develop fundamental skills through play and games while encouraging maximum participation and enjoyment.
It is in this regard that the Kicking AIDS Out Secretariat approached Community Development and Resource Association (CDRA), Centre for Development studies to facilitate this workshop. The workshop focused on understanding how to develop materials using the Action learning cycle methodology. CDRA was also contacted to help in putting together this resource material with Andy ‘Cartoonist’ being approached to add some graphics into it. The participants in the workshop did a formidable job by providing content that was used to develop this booklet. The first proof document has been developed and sent to all organizations and practitioners to use and give feedback and input into it. The feedback and input will be used to finalize this book later in the year.
The Coaches, instructors and practitioners’ who participated in this workshop are:
George Mwangi – MYSA Kenya
Paul Otieno – CHRISC East Africa
Dennis Kerspuy – Coaching for Hope South Africa
Sara Marshall – SCORE South Africa
Rashieda Davids – SCORE South Africa
Boitumelo Magosi – SEDYEL Botswana
Kebafilwe Moikabinyana – SEDYEL Botswana
Thaisa Hlapane – OYAP Lesotho
Boloetse Ramokhorong – OYAP Lesotho
Martin Dururu – Sports and Recreation Commission Zimbabwe
Patrick Mweshi – EDUSPORT Zambia
Frankson Mushindu – Sports in Action Zambia
Noah Mabutwe – SCORE Zambia
Bheki Skota – Facilitator from Community Development and Resource Association (CDRA)
George Nange – Kicking AIDS Out Secretariat
Activity Book
In 2009, Right to Play “an international humanitarian organisation that uses sport and play programs to improve health, develop life skills, and foster peace for children and communities” signed an Associate agreement with the Kicking AIDS Out Network. One of the works that was agreed upon is sharing resources and training materials since both institutions are harnessing the power of sport and play to reach out to young people and educate them on different health issues through participatory activities. Kicking AIDS Out and Right to Play has since then embarked on a collaborative project of developing an Activity Book.
The activity book comprises of games and activities collected from the communities by Right to Play and Kicking AIDS Out Practitioners and designed in a way that learning can be taken from them. The games are designed to be facilitated in the same sequence and are based on Experiential Learning Cycle. The experiential learning cycle is designed to help young people and leaders with different learning styles to identify with an aspect of each session in order to draw on their experience to build their knowledge, skills and values.
The purpose of the Activity Book will be to present different methodologies of involving young people into activities that have been made to trigger discussion on HIV and AIDS and other health related issues with a focus on life skills development. We believe that this games and activities will create a platform for learning and having fun.
Every activity in this book has been made practical and easy to use. The instructions are clear and easy to follow and can be made to fit in different context. The project is in its final stages and will be ready for use in June 2010
The Training Pathway
The Kicking AIDS Out training pathway begins at the Peer Leader Level. These youth are taught basic HIV and AIDS knowledge and then the focus is on how to integrate a life skill or piece of HIV and AIDS information into a sport or specially designed Kicking AIDS Out activities.
Selected youth move along the training pathway to become a Leader Level 1. These youth then assume the responsibility for training Peer Leaders and supporting, mentoring and advising them as they work in their communities. A very important component is the introduction of more advanced facilitation skills. These youth have the responsibility of initiating discussions around sensitive issues that arise when talking about sex, sexuality, HIV and AIDS. They work with the Peer Leaders and the youth participants to sensitively and effectively debrief and understand the subject matter that arises.More senior and competent trainers are given the opportunity to become a Leader Level 2. Their facilitation skills are enhanced so that they train the Leader Level 1s and so that they can support their development in practise. These Leader Level 2s often have a more strategic role in the management of Kicking AIDS Out activities and training plans at their member organisation. It is a priority of the Network to continue to bring Leaders at this level together to share important learning and assist each other with overcoming challenges and developing new skills.
Master Trainers are the most experienced trainers in the network who are actively participating in the continued development and enhancement of the Kicking AIDS Out objectives. They are trainers who are contributing to various working groups that are addressing issues such as curriculum development, monitoring and evaluation and marketing and research. Master Trainers are Leader Level 2 trainers who are often specialists in a unique field such as coaching, sport for development, sexual health and public relation.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the input and right leadership of Linda Torége, Head of the Kicking AIDS Out Secretariat in Cape Town and support from the Secretariat intern Caroline Wanjiku. The practitioners and Working group members have done a tremendous work. Their invaluable input is acknowledged.
We are grateful to our collaborative partners CDRA, Right to Play and City of Toronto who has brought light and life to these processes.
These projects have been made possible by the generous contribution and support from Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports, UK Sport and Commonwealth Games Canada.
A big thank you to all who have been involved in one way or the other.