Reproductive Health, Gender and HIV/AIDS Programme

In Kenya as in other parts of the world, young people face serious

challenges in their transition to adulthood. Th e lack of adequate

information and comprehensive reproductive health services

as well as a non-facilitative environment are some of the factors

which are negatively influencing this transition. HIV/AIDS further

complicates the situation. Nothing has had a more devastating

on young people than HIV. HIV/AIDS families eroding family

cohesion and leaving young people with new responsibilities and roles

and in the extreme robbing them of their parents and guardians.

Th e need for programmes that clearly link reproductive health

and HIV/AIDS, especially for young people is critical. Yet in recent

years programs that promote abstinence-only policies have gained

prominence, eclipsing more comprehensive programs and signicantly

narrowing down the choices and options available to young people.

CSA designs and implements innovative and comprehensive

reproductive health and HIV/AIDS programs for young people

targeting both school going and non-school going youth. Some of the

activities currently being implemented under this programme include:

Th e following projects are currently being implemented under this

programme:

Youth for Youth (Y4Y) project

Designed in collaboration with the University of California at Los

Angeles (UCLA), the Y4Y project uses a unique approach, which

promotes the mentoring of younger students by older ones. Using a

curriculum designed speci. cally for this purpose, secondary school

students go through an orientation using the curriculum and then

mentor primary school pupils. Th e prgram which promotes youth

participation in all areas, is an excellent way to reach youth with

important information on HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health.

Piloting has been concluded and consolidation of activities,

evaluation and planning for scale up is currently ongoing.

Combining ICT, Sexuality and HIV/AIDS Education

In collaboration with the Dutch World Population Foundation (WPF and the Ministry of Education CSA is implementing a computer based sexuality education programme the

“World Starts With Me” (WSWM) for young people between 12-19

years. Th e aim of the program is to promote sexual and reproductive

health as well as integration of HIV/AIDS and adolescent development into the school system. Th e WSWM is an innovative approach, which combines knowledge transfer, attitude development and skills building with training in computer skills.

Mainstreaming Emergency Contraception through Private Providers Networks and

Community level structures in Western Kenya

Th e goal of this project is to increase knowledge and acceptance of

Emergency Contraception (EC) among women, and to mainstream

EC in RH service d within the public and private health sectors, and at

the community level.

Th e project works with both the public and private health sectors,

and community level structures to expand their roles in promoting

maternal health through integration of EC into existing RH services.

In addition to community health networks, IEC and training e. orts,

facilitative supervision is undertaken to strengthen monitoring of

efective distribution and logistical support.