Anthony Bloome AIDSWEB Project Manager World Bank Institute The AIDSWEB Project

What can schools using information and communications technology do about the spread of HIV/AIDS?

Need for the AIDSWEB project  While recognizing challenges of access, ICT can aid a multisectoral approach to the HIV/AIDS pandemic  ICT provides timely access to HIV/AIDS information and communication  Leverages use of ICT in everyday life  Complements current and planned Ministry of Education technology projects in several highly impacted HIV/AIDS countries  Promotes cultural unity and support through participation in international HIV/AIDS prevention and education activities  And because…

Youth Dig Computers! “ So let’s explore this interest for awareness raising, peer education and behavior change

AIDSWEB Project Partners  World Bank Institute’s ICT for Education Program  World Bank Institute’s Leadership Program on AIDS  World Bank Africa Region (AFTQK)  World Links organization  Education Development Center  Rotary clubs  International Education Resource Network  Family Health International’s YouthNet Project  AIDSWEB National Project Coordinators  Students and teachers – Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, U.S., Zimbabwe, Zambia - The Project Champions!

AIDSWEB Project - History  January, 2000: project developed by World Bank’s ACT Africa Program and WorLD project with financial support from Wired magazine  In 2000 and 2001, schools in four African countries – Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe (200 participants)  In 2002, added four new countries – Botswana, Nigeria, United States, and Zambia (300 Participants)

AIDSWEB Project Activities  Online Collaborative Project & Social Action Grants  Teachers’ Exchange Visits (Cape Town and Washington, D.C.)  HIV/AIDS and ICT Educational Material  Social Action Website Design Competition  HIV/AIDS NGOs and ICT  HIV/AIDS and Youth Livelihood 1000 youth, 100 teachers, 7 NGOs from Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, U.S., Zambia, Zimbabwe

Online Project - Activities  Introductory Questionnaires  Cultural Exchange HIV/AIDS statistics, confronting common myths  Basic Facts on HIV/AIDS -- HIV/AIDS statistics, confronting common myths gender; influences of religion, culture, government and economics  The Importance of HIV/AIDS -- gender; influences of religion, culture, government and economics including student interviews of church leaders, traditional healers, health workers, blood bank technicians  The Challenge of HIV Prevention -- including student interviews of church leaders, traditional healers, health workers, blood bank technicians Challenged each school to design and HIV/AIDS Action Plan + provided grant support for plan development  Social Action -- Challenged each school to design and HIV/AIDS Action Plan + provided grant support for plan development  One month for each discussion (facilitator)

Social Action Grants Nineteen Grants of US$500 – Ghana, So. Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe  Campaign for Voluntary HIV Testing combined with village clean-up – covered by FM and television  Campaign for Voluntary HIV Testing combined with village clean-up – covered by FM and television (Chemu SS – Ghana)  HIV/AIDS Poetry Contest for three primary schools  HIV/AIDS Poetry Contest for three primary schools (Budo Kings College - Uganda)  Peer Helpers Training Workshop  Peer Helpers Training Workshop - delivered by local NGO for 37 students to become peer helpers (Namilyango College - Uganda)  Outreach to rural schoolsinvited to spend 5 hours with AIDSWEB club and participate in next AIDSWEB project  Outreach to rural schools – invited to spend 5 hours with AIDSWEB club and participate in next AIDSWEB project (Marondera-Zimbabwe)  Fundraising project for AIDS orphans  Fundraising project for AIDS orphans (Mkoba 3 – Zimbabwe)

Online Project - Impact AIDSWEB Teacher Feedback  Raises Awareness  Enhances Research Skills  Integration of HIV/AIDS/life skills education in school curricula  Combination between HIV/AIDS education & ICT skills development  Roles of teachers re-emphasized as facilitators  Promotion of Peer Education  Linkage between schools, NGOs & community  Students/parents education enhancement

Online Project - Evaluation Recently concluded independent evaluation of AIDSWEB activities in Botswana, Ghana, Uganda, So Africa, Zimbabwe  Increased Computer Usage  Boys and Girls in the project twice as likely to have access to computer facilities compared to those in non-participating schools  Knowledge of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Transmission  AIDSWEB students were twice as likely to correctly identify all four methods of prevention and transmission  Social Action Plans  AIDSWEB students more than twice as likely to develop social action plans for working with HIV/AIDS prevention activities in their communities

Teacher Exchange Visits  U.S. State Dept supported grant to AIDSWEB project partners  July, 2001: HIV/AIDS Materials Development Workshop in Cape Town, South Africa  Cultural exchange between African and U.S. teachers  Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe  Content exchange of HIV/AIDS classroom material and experiences  Preliminary HIV/AIDS Lesson Plan Integration  February, 2002: African teachers’ visit to Washington, D.C.  Visits: USAID, Advocates for Youth, NIH, Whitman Walker, 4 D.C. Schools, World Bank

HIV/AIDS Material and ICT In 2000, began identifying HIV/AIDS educational materials:  AIDSWEB CD-ROM: Low Bandwith Schools existing web materials ( Advocates for Youth, Avert, CDC, US Census Bureau, WHO, UNAIDS, etc.)existing web materials ( Advocates for Youth, Avert, CDC, US Census Bureau, WHO, UNAIDS, etc.)  Electronic adaptation of locally produced HIV/AIDS print-based educational material e.g.,Auntie Stella – Zimbabwean NGO’s exemplary peer education materiale.g.,Auntie Stella – Zimbabwean NGO’s exemplary peer education material

Social Action Website Design Competition  Contest to promote youth participation in HIV/AIDS prevention and care activities  Furthers ICT skills development through website design trainings  Participating youth from six African countries – Botswana, Ghana, So. Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Zambia  60 schools participated in web design workshops - 36 website submissions

HIV/AIDS NGOs and ICT  HIV/AIDS and School-based Telecenters International Workshop (Kampala-September 2002)  Co-hosted by World Bank, EDC, Uganda AIDS Commission and Ministry of Education and Sport  Botswana, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe reps  Designed to link school-based telecenter projects with community-driven HIV/AIDS peer education and prevention  Local Project Development (Uganda)  HIV/AIDS NGO and ICT Training Material  Online Counseling (Straight Talk/SchoolNet-Uganda)  AIDS Orphans and Women – part of our  AIDS Orphans and Women – part of our YouthIT Livelihood Development Project

HIV/AIDS and ICT International Workshop 24 – 26 September, 2002 Kampala, Uganda

Youth Livelihood and HIV/AIDS  Important link between economic vulnerability and HIV/AIDS susceptibility, particularly for women  YouthIT Partnership Project between WB’s ICT for Education Program, Rotary, MOE, Junior Achievement, and Local Stakeholders  Links entrepreneurship education with ICT training and skills development  Specific targets include women and out-of- school youth by providing employable skills and new microenterprise business opportunities  FY03 pilot support will target 500 young people in Uganda

Proposed New Products HIV/AIDS Education and ICT International and National Workshops  HIV/AIDS Educational Media Web Portal  HIV/AIDS Educational Media Classroom Packets

Next Steps World Bank’s Quality Enhancement Review panel – highly recommended early impact and innovation of the project – recommended ongoing role as “incubator”, evaluator, and then scaling out HIV/AIDS and ICT activities to other organizations  Support other innovative HIV/AIDS and ICT education and prevention related activities  Formally link with ongoing Bank operational activities  Explore new regional opportunities (e.g., India)  Include other technology pilots (e.g., radio, television)  Raise adequate financial and human resources to support the above

For more information… Anthony Bloome AIDSWEB Project Manager World Bank