Access, Services, and Knowledge (ASK): What Young People Want, What Young People Need - Kenya and Uganda

Overall, ASK aims to "contribute to achieve MDG 3 (gender equality), MDG 5 (reduce maternal mortality and realise universal access to Reproductive Health (RH)), MDG 6 (stop the spread of HIV, malaria and TB) and the post-MDG agenda. The programme has a specific focus on uptake of Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) services."

In many countries access to SRH knowledge and services for young people is "hindered by problems at the supply side (the availability, affordability, and quality of SRH services and commodities) and the demand side (knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy of young people)." The ASK project is working to address both the supply and demand side challenges, which are influenced by contextual, social, and legal factors. This approach includes providing young people with direct access to SRH information and education without going through intermediaries, like parents and teachers. The project was designed keeping in mind the Theory of Change that underpins the strategies the SRHR Alliance.

At the beginning of the initiative, a series of "kick-offs" took place, bringing partner organisations together to discuss key concepts, such as "meaningful youth participation", as well as how they could strengthen each other’s work. Each partner was then tasked with developing a work plan, which would feed into a national plan.

In Uganda and Kenya, the multi-faceted project includes the following communication related components, among others:

• The development of comprehensive and integrated approaches to SRH and HIV prevention - STOP AIDS NOW! and Rutgers WPF developed two tools designed to increase programme effectiveness and measure impact: a "Planning and Support Tool" and "Are you on the right track?" Both tools are being used to build the capacity of trainers, through both face-to-face and e-learning, who can then in turn work with organisations to use the tools and implement effective programmes. STOP AIDS NOW! also developed a guide for professionals on how to address the needs of young people living with HIV. Click here to download these tools from the Stop AIDS website.
• Strengthening youth-friendliness and SRHR and HIV integration in services and preventing rights violations of young pregnant HIV women living with HIV - STOP AIDS NOW! is "working with local partners to document and support subsequent replications and scale up of successful home-grown models to prevent right violations in SR settings." For example, a tool will be produced that captures the methods of two organisations working in health in Uganda and Kenay - Mama’s Club and Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya (WOFAK) in: integrating counsellors (charged with not only providing support on health issues and services but also for recording suspected cases of rights violations and following up on them) at health facilities; holding dialogue sessions between young pregnant women living with HIV and health care providers at health facilities; and engaging in dialogue with Ministries of Health on cases of rights violations. YEA members and its local partners will be supported to use the tool and replicate Mama's Club’s and WOFAK's methods.
• Supporting young people living with HIV in advocacy and gathering evidence to articulate their needs - The project is supporting four selected organisations of young people living with HIV, who will receive training in research and gathering evidence to enable them to document rights violations or how their needs are not being addressed. This information is then used in programme development, awareness-raising, and advocacy.
• Increasing political commitment to improve sexual health outcomes for young people - UNESCO will work with the Ministries of Health and Education to: raise awareness of the SRH needs of young people; to support the development of action plans to improve outcomes for young people’s SRH, and to support a signature campaign to gain high level political commitment to improve sexual health outcomes for young people in East and Southern Africa. UNESCO will specifically support consultation with civil society and collaboration between civil society and government on issues of relevance to young people and their SRH.

SchoolNet Uganda is one of the thirteen organisations implementing the ASK project in Uganda. There two teachers each from 45 secondary schools are receiving training, and will in turn be responsible for training others using World Starts With Me (WSWM), a computer-based, rights-based, comprehensive sexuality education programme for in- and out-of-school youth. SchoolNet Uganda is using a number of direct information channels: an SMS Helpline, student booklets, computer-based self-assessment quizzes, and pedagogical support and health visits to schools. Through the SMS helpline, young people are able to ask questions on SRH issues affecting them i.e. relationships, pregnancy, contraception, psychosocial concerns, drug abuse, sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS, rights, etc.

Sexual and Reproductive Health

The Dutch Youth Empowerment Alliance (consisting of Rutgers WPF, Simavi, AMREF Flying Doctors, CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality, dance4life, and the International Planned Parenthood Federation), Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNESCO, STOP AIDS NOW, and local partners from Kenya and Uganda.