Peru Youth for Christ HIV/AIDS Project - Peru

With the cooperation and coordination of high school principals, Peru Youth for Christ visits area high schools to show a video to students. This video defines "risk behaviour" and details the consequences of risk behaviours on young peoples' lives. The organisation's representatives also talk about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections with students, explaining how infection occurs.

In 2001, three student leadership meetings were held; 500 students and their teachers attended. Some of the students who had been trained during the year advocated abstinence to their peers. After the presentation of the video, small groups were organised. A student who had been trained in the programme gave an explanation of HIV and challenged his or her peers to change their sexual behaviour. One young HIV-infected woman provided personal testimony about the impact of the disease on her life.

Students who have participated in these sessions are provided with certificates marking completion of the Defense of Life Leadership Program.

HIV/AIDS, Youth.

To date, 24 high schools have been visited and 13,000 students have been shown videos. In 2002, 434 students began the leadership training programme; 296 of them received the certificate (indicating that they attended at least 80% of the classes). In the next three years, organisers goals include the following: reaching 20,000 students per year through video forums; training 500 to 600 students per year; training 300 teachers per year; promoting 4 student leadership meetings (thereby reaching 1000 students per year); and reaching 1500 parents per year.