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The C-Change Community Conversation Toolkit on HIV Prevention: A Catalyst for Community Dialogue and Action . Integrated Approaches, Local Answers Presenters: Sarah Meyanathan , Maclean Sosono July 22, 2012. C-Change is…. C-Change is a five-year USAID funded initiative,
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The C-Change Community Conversation Toolkit on HIV Prevention: A Catalyst for Community Dialogue and Action Integrated Approaches, Local Answers Presenters: Sarah Meyanathan, Maclean Sosono July 22, 2012
C-Change is… • C-Change is a five-year USAID funded initiative, • with the mission to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of health and development communication for long term change • by influencing underlying social norms = SBCC
Background and Development • Response lacks interactive HIV prevention material for adults with lower literacy • Materials developed through participatory process – using Action Media methodology in South Africa • Adapted to local contexts in 7 countries in 10 languages • Complements existing HIV prevention activities through triggering local actions with dialogue Community Conversation Toolkit
Example of Toolkit Implementation and Evaluation Phase I: Phase II & III: Over 80+ discussions recorded with groups such as: Community Leaders PLHIV (various groups) Middle class men Women in small businesses Youth in higher learning institutions (20+) Final analysis of actions and potential programmatic implications External evaluation ongoing • Identified 4 CBO partners in Malawi and Zambia to facilitate dialogues w/ 23 existing community groups • Orientation of CBO leadership on toolkit, community dialogues and monitoring • Training of CBO staff and 49 existing peer educators • Recorded toolkit use, individual & group action
Example: Local Actions from Malawi • CBO partner: Friends of AIDS Support Trust (FAST) • Covers population of 50,000 in 88 villages • 14% prevalence rate • Literacy rate 42% • Dialogues held with: bicycle taxi operators, discordant couples, ex-sexual cleansers, tested couples, and local leaders
Community Leaders Before, meetings on prescribed topics & messages Now, deepened dialogue on harmful cultural practices & issues of GBV raised by community As a result of the dialogues: Developed workplan, divided into small groups, traveled to other communities Speaking out at funerals Advocating for modification of practices while retaining tradition FAST secured additional funds
Shapa Boys (Bike Taxi Operators) • Before, campaign meetings & trainings • Now, raised issues of their own risks--clients offering sex in exchange for payment; GBV in the wider community • As a result of the dialogues: • Talk to their spouses about risk & being faithful • Carried out dialogues with church members, market goers, hairdressers, other Shapa Boys, welders • Counseled clients sitting behind them • Distributed condoms
Lessons Learned • Toolkit elicits individual and community actions = promotes community ownership of local responses = sustainable actions • Important to conduct dialogues with existing programs, community structures/ hierarchies and in local languages • Peer educators are now facilitators instead of message presenters • Outcomes of toolkit interventions are local, but process can be scaled to address HIV-related issues in other contexts