Ubumbano Lwentsha is a 2 year project aimed at implementing a novel sports-based community youth mobilisation, outreach and education strategy to strengthen youth participation in research and dissemination of research results in rural areas. It receives funding from the WT Public Engagement stream, and informs the understanding of people’s behaviour with the Africa Centre Social Science agenda.
Specific objectives:
· To increase youth participation in health research, especially HIV-related studies.
· To engage youth as agents for dissemination of research findings in the community, through discussions with family and community members.
Methods
The project is designed to mobilise and reach out to about 22,788 youth aged 15-35 in the Demographic Surveillance Area (DSA) through organising soccer and netball matches involving 32 teams drawn from each Isigodi (village). Before and/or after each match, HIV/AIDS discussion and information dissemination sessions are conducted. At each game, rapid HIV tests are offered in mobile VCT centres. In-between the sports games, community-based group discussions are carried out with the youth to offer further health education sessions, and make referrals, if required, to medical doctors, a psychologist and/or HIV Counsellors.
The project’s main outcomes include increasing the consent rates for youth participation in the HIV surveillance project; increasing the number of youth participating in VCT; improving the youths’ understanding of HIV transmission modes and prevention strategies; and establishment of youth led distribution and discussion of research findings at household-level.
Progress
The project started in 2009 and will end in December 2010. During 2009, the sports tournament was successfully established. 32 soccer and netball teams, respectively, competed in the tournament from 6th June to 29th November 2009. Approximately 6000 people attended the sports games. Attendance at games was probably affected by the unusually inclement weather experienced throughout the second half of 2009, with many games staged in rainy conditions. Games were played on a zone and knock-out basis, and match days were scheduled primarily over weekends. During each game, health education sessions, focusing on HIV prevention and treatment messaging, were conducted. Additionally, each person attending the sports games were directly offered VCT, with a total of 132 choosing to undergo VCT. 15 community-based group discussions were held with more than 225 youths participating, covering issues that include access to VCT services, information about access to ART programme, implications of results from Africa Centre research studies, and general career development.
In 2010, we will continue the sports tournament, provision of VCT at games, community outreach, as well as evaluate the project by way of questions nested to the HIV surveillance. These questions have already been submitted for ethical review as part of the HIV surveillance ethical application for 2010.