Phylis and Sarah co-teaching male reproductive anatomy |
Well, since the last time I checked in about my HIV prevention and sex education work I’ve been back to Kenya twice. I have hired a project manager, and we’ve launched a measurement and evaluation process. Thanks in large part to donations from many of my friends and family, I was able to employ fourteen previously volunteer community educators in 2013 and require that they begin to fill out reports to help us measure their effectiveness and improve outcomes. In addition to the paid educators, twenty-nine other newly trained educators are now volunteering their services.
Sarah, one of our community educators, and some of the high school kids watching Phylis teach. |
Phylis and I meeting with a group in Embaringo, Aberdares, at 10,000 feet. |
As you may know, our ABC (Abstain, Be faithful, use Condoms) curriculum is a fact-based approach that teaches knowledge and skills for risk reduction in the areas of HIV/AIDS and other STDs, and early pregnancy.
The Funyula Team with Phylis |
Our project aims to be a measurement-based program that proves its efficacy and constantly aspires to improve outcomes. We are now establishing and gathering metrics on everything from the number of audience members we’ve reached to the reduction in high school dropouts due to pregnancy after we’ve taught at schools. Ultimately we hope to link our hands-on, knowledge-and-skills-based education to reductions in HIV and other STDs and early pregnancy, and to increases in (serial) monogamy and condom use.
Phylis interviewing Lydia from our Luanda Team, with Jessy helping with the filming. |
My next post will unveil our new website, let you know the results of some of the data we are entering and analyzing, and report on our sanitary pad project aimed at keeping girls in school.