Youth participation in a national health campaign
Involvement in the HIV/AIDS programme in Ethiopia
What is it?
In Ethiopia, a project was set up to involve young people in planning the actions required to tackle HIV/ AIDS. The main aim was to develop a National Youth Charter which would express the reproductive and sexual health needs of young people.
Involving young people
The initiative used a ‘Participatory Learning and Action’ approach. This involved selecting and supporting a team of young people to assess the reproductive and sexual health needs of young people across Ethiopia. A total of 51 young people were chosen as facilitators. They were trained on the process of participatory appraisal and facilitation.
This team of young people then:
• Identified the youth groups and networks in each region
• Held workshops with 800 young people
• Interviewed over 200 young people and adults
Once this was done, a National Youth Conference was held with interested participants. Over 200 young people attended the event, which lasted three days. Finally, a one day event was held to launch the Youth Charter.
Achievements
The approach was successful in:
• Creating youth ownership of the process
• Developing informed, active youth stakeholders in the field of sexual health
• Gathering more authentic information about youth experiences than is possible through more traditional methods
• Building youth capacity to respond effectively to HIV/ AIDS
• Raising awareness among policy makers
Lessons learned
A number of important lessons emerged from the experience in Ethiopia:
• Government commitment to the concept was fundamental to its success
• Positive media coverage played a critical role
• A lot of time had to be dedicated to planning and preparation
• Youth facilitators needed ongoing support, which could often be provided through peer support - sharing experiences and skills
• Youth ownership of the process was essential to its success
• Building trust is critical to effective participation
Find out more
This case study has been adapted from an in depth case study. This initiative was supported by Social and Scientific Systems Inc, The Synergy Project and USAID.
