Sports teams are made up of a group of individuals who play together with the ultimate goal of overcoming the opposition with a mixture of skill and team work. You might have the best players in the world but if they do not interact successfully and support one another when under pressure they will be beaten by more organised opposition.
In the fight against the HIV epidemic in Kenya it is vital that everyone pulls together, passing on knowledge and supporting those in their community who have HIV. GAFFER utilises its large contingent of players and supporters to come together in the fight against HIV. The education GAFFER gives has been developed over the last few months through trial and error and fantastic support and advice from a broad spectrum of helpful organisations. GAFFER uses a mixture of curriculum's as well as sports activities to provide simple but interesting and easily absorbed HIV education.
After a visit to one rural school and a discussion with the teachers about their HIV education curriculum's GAFFER made a slightly disturbing discovery, the HIV book that was educating five-hundred young adults. It had some rather interesting views which must be seen to be believed.
On contraception:
"Contraceptives have done more harm to relationships than anything else in the history of mankind."
On sex before marriage:
"Having sex before marriage may even kill you."
On homosexuals:
"It is definitely abnormal and perhaps requires medical treatment."
Although GAFFER teaches Abstinence as the most effective barrier against HIV it is vital that people get open and honest advice about everything surrounding sexual health. So this is what GAFFER does:
Each village has a HIV group that has members ranging from sixteen to sixty years old. The groups are met by GAFFER in a classroom for a lesson that lasts about one hour.
Each member is given a handout they can keep for reference that GAFFER compiled then translated into Kiswahili. It covers the basic facts about HIV and AIDS as well as advice for HIV positive individuals.
The class is then invited to look at Alive & Kicking's excellent HIV posters. Using famous male and female sports stars to get across simple HIV information.
Kamau then talks through the messages on each of the nine posters and instigates discussion amongst the class about the issues involved.
Ben then goes through a long list of posters each with a question that has a True or False answer. Based on the Grassroot Soccer curriculum. The class discusses each answer and Ben brings in tricky issues relating to each question to fuel the discussion.
At this point everyone is a bit tired of talking so for some light relief Ben shows some football on GAFFER's new solar powered laptop/DVD setup! Including the ten best ever goals, heavily edited to ensure Arsenal players bag the top three!
After this a brilliant DVD called the Three Amigos is shown. It features three animated, talking condoms who go through different situations in Kiswahili. The class love the mix of humour and entertainment!
It's then time to split the class into groups and games and role plays, taken from Grassroot Soccer, are acted out. Each activity brings in a different message and brings people together to increase knowledge and reduce stigmatisation.
The lessons have been great success and more and more villages are being visited each week. The football teams are heavily involved which is great as confident young men are at a very at risk group. Young women are also talked to separately about Mother-To-Child-Transmission which appears to be a often misunderstood subject.
GAFFER would like to thank:
Martin Barnard at Alive & Kicking and Kirk Friedrich at Grassroot Soccer for the advice and allowing copyright laws to be bent so that the people who most need their excellent materials have got access to them so fast.
The Danish girls who's voluntary work in the area has helped get the proverbial ball rolling.
Gina Field for the loan of the laptop!
All the teachers and community leaders who's advice and support has been so vital in mobilising entire communities so fast.
All the players and supporters in the GAFFER area for being so open when discussing the more sensitive issues surrounding HIV and sexual health.
You can check out the three organisations who's excellent material GAFFER uses at the following websites:
On a lighter note and going back to the terrible HIV book that GAFFER found in a school...
On women:
"Girls emotional explosions may express something deep and personal, or nothing at all." !!