sara initiative

Integration of Sara Communication Initiative in Kenya Girl Guides Association's HIV/AIDS Prevention Program: 

Integration of Sara Communication Initiative in Kenya Girl Guides Association's HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Honorine Kiplagat, Margaret Mwaniki (KGGA), Charity Muturi, Stephen Mucheke, John McWilliam (Family Health International)

Sara Communication Initiative: 

Sara Communication Initiative Conceived in 1994 by UNICEF to provide media resources and develop facilitation skills for working with adolescents on HIV/AIDS-related issues in the Africa Region.

Underlying Principles: 

Underlying Principles ¥ Entertainment education using comic book characters and animated film to communicate messages ¥ Interactive communication on socially sensitive issues affecting young girls, primarily ¥ Careful formative research for the formulation of the Sara concept: 14 African countries over five years, 10,000 people including youth involved in interviews/ focus group discussions to evolve concepts, characters, names, themes, storylines, and visual images of Sara

African Countries using Sara: 

African Countries using Sara formative research countries Source:UNICEF

Sara Comic: The Empty Compound : 

Sara Comic: The Empty Compound Sara's cousin has died, leaving his young wife, Sofia, and their baby son. Although Uncle says his son died of cancer, everyone knows he died of AIDS. Then Uncle starts blaming Sofia for his son's death and banishes her from his compound. Sara is pleased when Sofia comes to stay with her family but whenever Sara and Sofia go out together people whisper and point at them. Some even call Sofia a witch. Sara and her family show how and why it is necessary to confront prejudice and acknowledge the realities of AIDS.

Sara Comic: The Trap: 

Sara Comic: The Trap Mr Mbuta, the shopkeeper and local "sugar daddy", tries to trick Sara into becoming yet another of his "girlfriends". Sara's mother is away and so Sara cannot turn to her for help. Then her grandmother tells a story about men who turn into monsters. Sara realizes she has to take decisive action against Mr. Mbuta and the potential diseases he is spreading. With some quick thinking and help from her friends, Sara turns Mr Mbuta's trick around.

Sara Comic: Choices: 

Sara Comic: Choices Sara really likes Musa and Musa is more than a little attracted to her. But it seems that most boys are only interested in sex; being friends is not enough. And the more girls they sleep with, the more boys feel they can prove that they are "men". Sara wants to wait. As her teacher say, why throw away your education and your future just to please a boy? Then Sara's friend Tamala falls pregnant, and the boy responsible is somebody Sara may know.... And Other Life Skills Stories Daughter Of A Lioness The Thief Sara Saves A Friend Special Gift

Kenya Girl Guides Association IMPACT Program in Kenya: 

Kenya Girl Guides Association IMPACT Program in Kenya ¥ 7 day TOT course for teachers/guide leaders in life skills curriculum ¥ Trainers impart skills to Girl Guide patrol leaders and provide supportive supervision ¥ Patrol leaders use life skills curriculum to train Girl Guide peer educators ¥ Peer educators do outreaches in school and community

KGGA's Peer Education Materials: 

KGGA's Peer Education Materials ¥ Life skills curriculum stressing abstinence ¥ Handbook for Guides to earn AIDS badges ¥ 'Talking Points' to stimulate discussion of peer education sessions ¥ HIV/AIDS badges

Achievements of Peer Education Program: 

Achievements of Peer Education Program ¥ Over 1400 head teachers sensitized on HIV/AIDS ¥ Over 5500 in-school peer educators trained ¥ Over 350,000 girls reached through in-school- youth peer education between October 2003 and Todate

Integration of Sara into Peer Education Program: 

Integration of Sara into Peer Education Program ¥ Fits within KGGA's value-based program ¥ Provides new role model for girl guides ¥ Supplements life skills manual with 'living' examples of making the right choices ¥ Stresses abstinence and delay of first sexual encounter

Integration Strategy: 

Integration Strategy

Guide Activities: 

Guide Activities ¥ After reading Sara stories, Guides share comics with other students in school ¥ Poems, skits, songs and public speeches are made up and recited in schools based on stories ¥ Guides invited to community gatherings to recite/ act Sara conceived materials ¥ Schools are put in clusters of five each and Guides invited to join in debates, produce dramas or watch videos of Sara stories ¥ Competitions among Guides to present the best Sara conceived story

Benchmarks of Sara Initiative in Kenya: 

Benchmarks of Sara Initiative in Kenya ¥ 900 teachers oriented ¥ 50 guide leader coordinators trained ¥ 875 guide leaders trained ¥ 80,000 pupils reached by Sara program ¥ 1,500 girls earn Sara badges

Results of Sara so far: 

Results of Sara so far ¥ 800 schools have been reached through the Sara Communication Initiative ¥ 43,200 copies of Sara comics have been distributed to schools

Lessons Learned: 

Lessons Learned Girl Guide program is the largest girl child program in Kenya (and Africa) and can use its already existing patrol structure for HIV education. Sara materials adapted to African context by design and are already printed and available: No development costs. Materials supplement existing peer education and classroom reading in schools. One comic is read by multiple pupils. Videos serve whole classes.

Slide17: 

The Kenya Girl Guides/ IMPACT Project is funded through The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through United States Agency for International Development managed by Family Health International Through Cooperative agreement No. HRN-A-OO-97-00017-00