GHARP Initiatives with Most at Risk Populations

OCTOBER 2008 — Targeted interventions were a cornerstone of the GHARP Project. GHARP initiatives focused on reaching at-risk groups including sex workers, men who have sex with men, and youth.

The GHARP Project, in collaboration with Guyana's MOH and local NGOs, supported an intervention program that targeted female sex workers (FSWs) and men who have sex with men (MSM) in four regions of Guyana. The content and design of the program was guided by behavioral surveillance conducted by FHI. Sex workers were trained as peer educators for this population, and a manual was designed to guide their activities. Peer educators delivered messages through one-on-one interactions, small group discussions, and drama performances. In addition, MSM were trained as peer educators to conduct outreach for other MSM.

Activities targeting most-at-risk populations boast many success stories. In the case of Evan Ramgas, a FSW peer educator, the GHARP Project's support of Family, Awareness, Consciousness, Togetherness (FACT), a local NGO, introduced her to a new way of looking at her health and life. Two FACT employees visited the bar where Evan was working to invite the employees to be part of a workshop. Ramgas actively participated in the workshop and became involved with FACT as a peer educator in the organization's "Keep the Light On" project. After training, Ramgas visited CSWs and spoke with them about her life and experiences. Two months after she began working as a peer educator, she quit sex work. Her children are now successful and thriving, and she is happy with her life. Her ability to relate to FSWs as a peer makes her an effective educator. Of her own experience as a FSW, she says, "It was who I was, but not who I am today."

Volunteer Youth Corps, another GHARP-supported organization, tackled issues facing young people: school dropouts, teenage pregnancies, and the possibility of contracting HIV. VYC used the formal school system to launch a drive to raise awareness of abstinence among 1,000 in-school youth. The In-School Peer Education Program was introduced to 14 schools and trained more than 50 students as peer educators. VYC also introduced the Big Brothers Big Sisters program in Guyana. This mentorship program became a lifeline for two students, Sarah and Terry*, whose behavior was marked by defiance of authority, early sexual activity, and violence. These students had been given up on by school administrators, but with weekly visits from their mentors, they were able to discover their potential, which had been overshadowed by their negative home environments. As they learned to change their behavior, they became interested in helping others make changes to adopt a positive lifestyle. As peer educators, they also served as powerful reminders of the untapped potential of at-risk youth.
*not their real names

GHARP also collaborated with Artistes in Direct Support, a local NGO, to offer education programs through the performing arts and on a weekly television program.  The organization comprises staff and volunteers of different ages and experiences who use their talents in music, drama, and dance to promote HIV/AIDS/STI education. The group has worked with several at-risk groups, including youth, MSM, and FSWs. Their corps of "trainer of trainers" and peer educators/counselors facilitate workshops, awareness sessions, and performances at events focusing on HIV/AIDS. The group has collaborated with pastors and religious leaders, including religious youth leaders, in teaching drama skills to promote abstinence and being faithful. In 2007 the group celebrated its 15th anniversary with a show seen by more than 2,000 people.

With the support of GHARP, the Guyanese media also committed to educating the public on HIV/AIDS. Four of the country's leading television news channels granted free air time to the GHARP Project to air HIV public service announcements. HBTV (Channel 9) also granted five free minutes during its popular Sunday news show, "Week in Review." GHARP's six-month media campaign focused on safer behaviors, the importance of getting tested, stigma and discrimination, and compassion for those with HIV. The professionally produced spots targeted GHARP's most-at-risk populations, particularly young people. The campaign also distributed a youth-oriented music video, "Don't Dis Me," promoting tolerance for HIV-positive people. The video featured two Guyanese players from the West Indies cricket team, including the team's captain, giving the video appeal not just in Guyana but throughout the Caribbean, where cricket is hugely popular.

PHOTO: (Top) Youth are one of the most at risk populations in Guyana.  GHARP is reaching out to youth in Georgetown, to educate them about HIV prevention and tolerance for people living with HIV. (Bottom) Poster from "Don't Dis Me" campaign promoting tolerance. (FHI/Guyana)