Settings & Audiences for Peer Education

Sub-Saharan Africa, southern Africa in particular, has been hardest hit by the HIV/IADS pandemic. For instance, well over a million South African children have been orphaned by AIDS, with a much larger number considered highly vulnerable to the pandemic that surrounds them. In addition to survival resources, vulnerable children need sustained psychosocial support, assistance with concrete coping skills, and effective education to prevent high-risk behaviors. They also need what all young people need: sustained emotional nurturing through social activities that are fun, encourage hope, and connect them with their peers, schools, churches, and communities.

Vulnerable children need resources that are accessible and appealing and protect them from stigma and shame; but such resources are in limited supply. Indeed the social service systems of most affected nations have been overwhelmed by the pandemic. Even where programs have established regular contact with vulnerable children, they lack staffing and expertise to address psychosocial and prevention needs.

A cadre of trained peer educators, buoyed by the appropriate institutional and technical support structure, and operating through widespread institutions (e.g. community-based, faith-based, or sports organizations) can play an important part in addressing the human resource shortage in the psychosocial care and support of OVC in resource-constrained settings.

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