Using the power of soccer to fight HIV/AIDS

Taking advantage of schools being on holiday, the month of August brought an opportune period for VAP to conduct community football camps in three different locations namely: Kawangware, Mukuru and Kiambio. The camp included various football games and activities from SKILLZ Mabeste and SKILLZ Mtaani that address issues of HIV with the main aim being to promote Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for adolescent boys. The one week interactive football camp also integrated adolescent girls who would utilize the information to inspire their male counterparts to uptake VMMC services. “The camp has been informative to me as an adolescent girl and after having known the role that VMMC plays in reducing HIV, am going to share this information with my boyfriend and encourage him to go for the services.” Said 17 years old Veronica, from Kawangware.

VAP Coach Inspires Indian Girls

With invitation from Discover Football, an organization based in Germany that focuses on enhancing women’s football professionalism right from the grassroot levels to the greater heights, coach Eva from VAP was amongst eight coaches representing eight countries from around the world that were invited to Goa India to attend Discover Football Festival. The festival involved workshops for players, coaches and journalists. The theme of the festival was ‘Women’s rights, gender equality and sexual reproductive health’. The event was used as a platform to sensitize the community on women’s rights to play football, adore their bodies as well as taking opportunity of the Discover Football Festival’s activities on amending their structures and improving women’s football.

 As a routine and in order to track both reach and quality of the programs, VAP uses standardized monitoring and evaluation tools that includes attendance registers, pre/post-questionnaires, coach evaluations, conducting occasional focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and collection of participants’ stories. The collected data from these tools are regularly analyzed to track progress against outputs, inform program management and provide practical feedback to coaches,supporters like YOU and entire organization. The filling out of the post survey is normally done after engaging in SKILLZ Kenya HIV prevention program for a couple of weeks and at the tail end of the program.

   HIV ORAL SELF-TESTING

After being approved by WHO and the Kenyan ministry of health HIV oral self-testing has already begun to hit the ground but many communities are still not aware of the kit that provides privacy while testing for HIV. Following a ground breaking research study integrating football and HIV oral-self testing in several hard to reach communities served by VAP, VAP has acquired a few OraQuick self-testing kits to scale up its community HIV testing methodology that would include door to door distribution. Despite scaling up HIV testing, oral self-testing would provide an alternative for the youth and members of the community who fear stigmatization and discrimination by visiting conventional testing sites."It's easier to use at your own convinient and comfort zone."Said 16 years old Mary.