There is an African saying that: ‘it takes a village to raise a child’.
This also holds true elsewhere in today, where experiences are shaped not only by knowledge gleaned through books, but also through the experience of the collective, learning from the immediate environment, and the people who shape us.
When a community or the peers from the community stand up to shape society, that’s when real change begins.
Peer education is an integral, important and undeniable method that can be used to eradicate existing misconceptions about HIV/AIDS. Peers are an invaluable medium for increasing information and knowledge about the epidemic, because their reach extends into the heart of communities, delving deep into the core barriers -motivating change from within.
Peers are effective, as they have a stake in the very community that they want to bring about a change in.
In recent years, peer education and training has had an impetus that has surpassed expectations. It has instilled a sense of purpose in many lives. The journey to this success, however, was not without its pitfalls. The noble intention to do something was in abundance, but the sheer logistical challenges and the doubts of sustainability seemed, at one time, insurmountable.
Furthermore, issues such as appropriate selection of peers, content of training curriculum, support needs and skills training, have always aroused concern.
In 2004, Avert Society along with BIRDS (Belgaum Integrated Rural Development Society) started a peer training and education program, to address the problem of HIV/AIDS among vulnerable populations.
Comprehensive steps were taken to ensure that the program was launched and would see fruition. Staff well-versed with such training programs, peer educators from core communities and a set of trainers to supervise the peer educators as they went about their tasks, were delegated to provide support.
It was inevitable that the master trainers who worked relentlessly to develop the corps of peers, would have their share of problems and moments of sheer hopelessness. Despite this, they never lost sight of the big picture. The fruits of their labor were seen in the change observed in the peer educators themselves.
All the peers were completely involved in their education, spurred on by their supervisors. They wanted to change existing misconceptions and notions, and share their knowledge and experience with their community members. This was indeed a proactive movement.
The peer education training program stands as a testament to the human spirit of endurance, compassion and desire for change.
The 117 peer educators are a true manifestation of the program’s ability to transform society.