The SHARP Programme (Sensible, Healthy and Responsible People)
Executive Summary
Poor communities are suffering crime, violence, abuse and loss of faith in the future. Self-respect and trust between individuals needs to be restored so that the family again manages the transition to maturity of young people. At present, there is unprecedented sexual activity among youth coupled with high levels of sexually transmitted disease resulting in a high incidence of HIV.
“AIDS is not some-one else’s problem. Its my problem. It is your problem.”[1] The educator, nurse and social worker cannot overcome it on their own because it requires a cultural response from the community.
Young people from the community have been trained and
employed fulltime by SAPLER at about 35 schools, since 1996, for a minimum of two terms,
under the mentorship of the school guidance counsellor, to provide regular sexuality
education workshops during lesson periods. “Learners’ perceptions were
overwhelmingly positive ... Other stakeholders also had overwhelmingly favourable opinions
of Sapler - both in terms of the basic idea and in terms of the way in which it has been
implemented”[2].
A proposal for an expanded programme was made to the
Department of Education, North West in August 1999. At
the behest of Dr Karodia, DDG of the Department, SAPLER commissioned an independent
evaluation[3].
SAPLER bases this proposal on the recommendations of the evaluation[4], the
Department’s draft business plan[5] and a suggestion by
Dr Karodia for a revised proposal.
Accordingly, SAPLER Population Trust proposes recruitment and training of community youth (peer sexuality educators or pioneers) in the Brits, Mabopane and Temba educational districts. Each pioneer will work full time in a secondary school for a minimum of a year, under the mentorship of the guidance counsellor, in consultation with the department’s master trainers and SAPLER’s field managers to provide a double period sexuality workshop to every class each week, based on the Life Skills curriculum.
“There is still a pervasive lack of linkage for all learners between knowledge and attitudes on the one hand and behaviour on the other. Along with other organisations in the field of safe sexuality education, this is likely to remain a major challenge for Sapler.”[6] Learners need to ‘walk the talk’ through role-plays, group discussions, debates, tasks and games in the classrooms.
“Systems … should monitor not only that key concepts have been conveyed, but also the unfolding processes that pioneers have to deal with”[7]. The same workshop, flexibly applied, will be held for all classes and schools in the programme during the week. Pioneers will meet weekly to plan and review workshops and bring notes arising from workshop activity in class, learners’ personal problems and local issues.
“Sapler should build up a catalogue of local culture, class and gender issues and make this a central point of pioneers’ training and ongoing supervision.”[8] The administrator and executive director will also follow-up urgent issues, plan new workshops and summarise and communicate issues, plans and results to stakeholders. Field managers will liaise with clinics to create partnerships with schools to foster STD treatment, contraception and provision of school sexual health statistics.
[1] Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, “Declaration to Launch the Partnership Against AIDS”, October 9, 1998. Back
[2] Dr Martin Terre Blanche, Institute of Social and Health Research, UNISA, “Independent evaluation of the SAPLER peer counselling programme December 1999. Section B.3.3 Peer counselling. Back
[4] All recommendations from the evaluation listed in the section ‘Project objectives. The evaluation is available from SAPLER under separate cover or on the website www.population.org.za. Back
[5] Department of Education, North West , “Business Plan: HIV/AIDS Life Skills Education; Secondary Schools; December 1999”. Back
[6] Dr
Martin Terre Blanche, Institute of Social and Health Research, UNISA, “Independent
evaluation of the SAPLER peer counselling programme December 1999. Section A3
Impact of the programme on learner’s knowledge, attitudes and behaviourty
[7] ibid Section A.3.7 Format of lessons Back
[8] ibid. Section A.3.8 Socio-economic and gender issues Back