The overall goal of PSI's Healthy Schools Initiative is to reduce HIV incidence among youth aged 15-24 by

promoting abstinence and safer sexual behaviors, changing social norms among men and women, and

improving communication among secondary school youth. Prevention programs for youth remain a high

priority for both the GOR and the EP. Since the overall national prevalence is 3.1%, there is a great need for

prevention programming in the largely HIV-negative population and an opportunity to affect the progression

of the epidemic by reaching the youth population. In addition, though 2005 RDHS-III data reflect a very low

HIV prevalence among nearly all youth groups, recent testing data from some youth centers suggest that

HIV prevalence among out-of-school youth could be as high as 7% in some areas.

During FY 2007, PSI collaborated with the MINEDUC to implement health communications interventions in

60 secondary schools under the Healthy Schools Initiative. In order to reach higher risk youth populations in

FY 2008, this prevention initiative will be extended to 30 additional schools as well as out-of-school youth,

through provision of comprehensive prevention and testing services at four youth centers in Rwanda. This

strategy will thereby provide a more integrated prevention program for youth in Rwanda, targeting a diverse

mix of in- and out-of-school youth.

The first component of the Healthy Schools Initiative is an interpersonal communication intervention

focusing on improving parent-child communication about HIV/AIDS. During a five-session training, parents

develop the knowledge and skills necessary to speak confidently to their children about the realities of

HIV/AIDS in Rwanda. Children learn to speak more openly with their parents about the problems they

encounter in everyday life. Emphasis is placed on the special vulnerability of girls and young women vis-à-

vis GBV and transactional and cross-generational sex, and about protection from HIV through abstinence

and fidelity.

A second component includes training of anti-AIDS clubs and other youth groups in gender and HIV/AIDS,

interactive drama, peer education, interpersonal communication, and life skills techniques. Through these

trainings and ongoing formative supervision, the EP will contribute to strengthening the capacity of the anti-

AIDS clubs to conduct outreach IPC interventions at their schools and in the communities.

Additionally, PSI produces the ABAJENE! youth call-in radio shows that focus on healthy lifestyles and

reinforce the prevention messages communicated during peer education trainings. A related ABAJENE!

youth magazine is also produced quarterly and disseminated to youth in secondary schools.

By the end of 2006, PSI had trained 1,626 peer educators who reached 62,620 students with AB messaging

and information. An additional 40,000 students were reached in FY 2007 by the 1,000 peer educators

trained in AB. In FY 2008, PSI will maintain its presence in the first 60 schools through intermittent support

and refresher trainings and will expand the Healthy Schools Initiative to 30 additional secondary schools.

44,000 secondary school youth will be reached with AB messages through the Healthy Schools Initiative.

New in FY 2008 will be EP support to four youth centers where PSI offers comprehensive prevention and

testing services. PSI will leverage its experience with youth-friendly services and employ innovative models

to deliver high quality prevention messaging and TC to most at-risk youth. PSI will build the capacity of

youth associations and out-of-school anti-AIDS clubs to conduct IPC and peer education activities. PSI will

also conduct mobile video unit shows and special events at youth clubs and other youth venues promoting

AB and OP as appropriate. Synergies between school based and out-of-school activities will be achieved

through sharing of IEC materials and curricula as well as creation of linkages between the schools and

testing services at the centers. Priority target groups reached by youth centers will include youth living in

urban areas and high HIV transmission zones (as defined by the PLACE study), youth frequenting hotspots,

girls engaging in transactional sex, and OVC above 15. PSI will create linkages with the CHAMP project for

referral of OVC to comprehensive services. Approximately 45,000 youth will be reached with AB messages

at the four youth centers.

PSI will measure outcomes and objectives through an ongoing behavioral research study started in FY

2007. The behavioral tracking methodology utilizes in-depth surveys to assess factors that affect behavior

change among the secondary school youth reached with behavior change prevention interventions.

Information obtained from this research will help to refine project interventions during implementation.

Funding in this area is also provided to support the national HIV/AIDS hotline, which is managed by the

CNLS. The objective of the hotline is to respond to client calls with information about behavior change to

prevent HIV, provide psychosocial counseling for PLHIV, and refer clients to testing centers. Of the more

than 30,000 calls received annually, more than half are for HIV prevention counseling. With this funding in

FY 2008, an estimated 18,000 people will be reached with HIV prevention messages promoting abstinence

and fidelity through the hotline. PSI will also conduct refresher trainings in behavior change prevention

counseling for the six hotline staff who manage the calls.

The overall goal of PSI's Healthy Schools Initiative is to reduce HIV incidence among youth aged 15-24 by

promoting abstinence and safer sexual behaviors, changing social norms among men and women, and

improving communication among youth. During FY 2007, PSI collaborated with MINEDUC to implement

health communication interventions in 60 secondary schools under the Healthy Schools Initiative. In FY

2008, PSI will expand this activity to 30 additional secondary schools while maintaining presence in the first

60 schools through intermittent support and refresher trainings. By end of FY 2008, this coverage will

extend to all 23 EP districts plus Huye and Musanze where two of the youth centers are located.

Prevention programs for youth remain a high priority for both the GOR and the EP. Since the overall

national prevalence is 3.1%, there is a great need for prevention programming in the largely HIV-negative

population and an opportunity to affect the progression of the epidemic by reaching the youth populations.

In addition, though 2005 RDHS-III data reflect a very low HIV prevalence among nearly all youth groups,

recent testing data from some youth centers suggest that HIV prevalence among out-of-school youth could

be as high as 7% in some areas. In order to reach this higher risk population in FY 2008, this prevention

initiative will be extended to out-of-school youth, through provision of comprehensive prevention and testing

services at four youth centers in Rwanda. This strategy will thereby provide a more integrated prevention

program for youth in Rwanda, targeting a diverse mix of in- and out-of-school youth.

The components of the school-based activities include an interpersonal communication intervention

focusing on improving parent-child communication about HIV/AIDS, capacity building and training of anti-

AIDS clubs in BCC, distribution of IPC tool kits, and production of the ABAJENE! youth call-in radio shows

and youth magazines. With youth over age 15, a portion of the BCC interventions will focus on correct and

consistent condom use for those who are sexually active, and specifically helping youth to develop condom

negotiation skills. 11,000 secondary school youth will be reached with condoms and other prevention

messaging.

New in FY 2008, the EP will extend support to four youth centers where PSI will offer comprehensive HIV

prevention and testing services. In addition, STI services (including screening, diagnosis, and treatment)

and family planning counseling will be provided, thereby ensuring that youth who access the centers receive

a comprehensive package of services, all of which can contribute to prevention of HIV. PSI will also conduct

mobile video unit shows and special events at youth clubs and other youth venues promoting AB and OP as

appropriate, including at high risk youth workplaces and in hotspots and bars. Priority target groups reached

by youth centers will include youth living in urban areas and high HIV transmission zones (as defined by the

PLACE study), youth frequenting hotspots, girls engaging in transactional sex, and OVC above 15. PSI will

create linkages with CHAMP for referral of OVC to comprehensive OVC services. 25,000 youth will be

reached at the youth centers with condoms and other prevention messaging.

This activity is continuing from FY 2007. No new narrative is required.