Only the youth will save the youth

Submitted by Linda Lilian (owamazima) about 10 months ago

A class of about 25 Social and Community Development students - a third of who are practicing community workers - recently sat and contemplated strategies of how to save the youth.

Just as the Bible has existed and sin has not abated, so has the HIV/AIDS gospel in Uganda. Even so, more youth become infected everyday.

When we realise that billboards, sensitization meetings or even live testimonies cannot speak loud, a hopeless thought forms: What tool can be used to save the youth? What tool can cause behavioural change among them?

Then the irony of the elderly trying to counsel the youth comes in to play. First, the youth mock the elderly as 'old man' and 'old woman'. In community sensitizations and schools you hear giggles and inappropriate remarks. The HIV/AIDS talk is turned to a joke.

Second, the Ugandan elderly have lost the value of wisdom due to inappropriate behaviour such as transgenerational sex and defilement. Now their words count for less.

In this dilemma, strategies such as peer education have emerged but need to be creatively communicated among the youth. Youth can handle the problem with guidance but adults' presence makes them cling to rebellion and so most HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, and TB campaigns have often gone to waste.

The aim is to get youth educated and making them people who others can look up to. If these people are positively influenced then the next 100 young people who meet them or try to join their crew will be influenced too.

We all know that what is seen as being 'cool' is attractive to youth and who better to model a great health campaign than an educated and properly resourced youth.

Keywords: behavioural change HIV/AIDS STDs Uganda youth

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