In partnership with Frontline AIDS as funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, AMS is currently implementing a five-year SRHR/HIV programme. The programme aims to contribute to improved national HIV/ SRHR outcomes in Uganda especially among young people ages 10 to 25 in 33 health facilities across the districts of Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso. This is to be achieved by expanding access and increased use of quality, inclusive and integrated SRH/HIV Services.
In addition, the programme focuses on promoting the adoption of safer sexual practices among young people by creating an enabling SRHR and HIV environment. By soliciting youth's feedback on our services, AMS strengthens the quality of our programming and ensures it fits with our patients' needs. We also empower youth leaders in our youth group, Victor's Club, to take an active role in managing the group's activities. In addition, we have differentiated youth care - we split appointment days according to age, and have a specified youth room and adolescent wing within the AMS compound.
AMS launched the Victors Club to establish a platform for peer support to over 1,100 young people who access services at AMS. Members of the Victors' Club range from 11 to 24 years of age, with the older members advising and counselling the younger ones. The Victors' Club shows our youth that they are not alone and that there are others their age who are facing the same HIV-related struggles.
From 2016 to 2017, AMS and Musicians without Borders trained 30 youth to become Community Music Leaders. Twice a month on Saturday mornings, these music leaders work with other youth patients, teaching them how to drum, sing, write songs, dance and play other instruments. The training program built on AMS' existing psychosocial support services, using music therapy to build confidence, boost self-esteem, provide a platform for peer interaction, and be used as a tool for psychosocial support.
Within the Victors' Club, members are divided into small groups based on age. These groups are engaged in education sessions on sexual and reproductive health. By dividing youth by age group (11 to 14, 15 to 18, and 19 to 24), we encourage positive interaction with peers in an age-appropriate environment. Such meetings facilitate discussion around personal matters, support for peers, and advice around a number of different topics. In addition, each group uses social media channels, such as Facebook and WhatsApp, to stay connected digitally.
Through the Victors Club, 20 youth leaders have received training in communications and leadership skills. These leaders connect with HIV positive youth in their neighbourhoods, organizing gatherings to introduce peers to each other, and following up on youth who may be struggling with adherence or disclosure. These youth leaders work with our 30 youth peer educators, the latter of whom engaged in a multi-day training to learn to spread health messages throughout their communities, and bring more youth into care at AMS.
In May 2018, youth at Alive Medical Services participated in a 2-week-long participatory storytelling project, Positive. Powerful. Alive. to share stories of strength through HIV.
For nearly two weeks, AMS staff partnered with a local filmmaker, Kharl Ed Olega of SkyRock Productions, to teach adolescents to film and edit their own stories. Positive. Powerful. Alive. had three main aims:
Project participants worked in teams to direct, shoot and edit each other's films, hoping to inspire other youth living with HIV and show them that above all, they are not alone.
“For all the HIV positive youth, know that you are not alone," one participant, Nadia Shilla, said in her film. “You are absolutely unique and useful just like anyone else. Don't let people's attitudes and beliefs put you down."
“It felt good to finally tell someone out there my story," said Daisy, a participant in the project. “It felt like a relief."