Through its initial work with women, TAI found that 90% of the women were unable to implement their personal HIV prevention strategies as their male partners made all of the decisions relating to sex and sexuality. Some women were even beaten and chased from their homes when they suggested condom use. TAI therefore decided to target men, through the Shosholoza AIDS Project.
Focal areas: positive masculinity, men as carers, HIV prevention, meaningful involvement of men in AIDS mitigation.
- Work with young men as peer educators (aged 15 to 24 years) through soccer teams as organized by the South African Football Association (SAFA). Additional adult support provided through the team management and coaches.
- The participants undergo training and capacity building in areas such as sex and sexuality, correct information relating to puberty, HIV prevention, AIDS mitigation, gender issues (especially in the context of a very patriarchal society) and women’s rights, project management, communication skills, decision-making and negotiation.
- On-going mentoring and support is provided by the TAI staff to assist the young men in identifying the factors that place them at risk of HIV infection and strategies for mitigating those risks.
- Also the young men begin their own community based projects that reach out to other soccer teams in their areas. TAI supports these outreach programmes with technical support (eg planning, evaluating, etc) and some resources. The teams also network with local structures with the aim of building an enabling environment for young people in the face of the AIDS epidemic.
Although TAI’s projects follow similar methodologies, the approach and materials developed differ vastly from project to project, as per the intended beneficiaries. An Annual Report has been finalized every year.
DIRECT BENEFICIARIES: Young men in soccer, adult men in soccer management
INDIRECT BENEFICIARIES: Men in soccer through outreach, female partners of soccer players
This project has undergone several external evaluations with excellent and proven results. Additional information available at TAI Publications:
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_we_do/resources/downloads/geneqmen/gem_legrange.pdf
External Evaluation Publications:
http://www.oxfam.org.au/world/africa/south_africa/AIDSGenderAnalysis.pdf
http://www.oxfam.org.au/world/africa/south_africa/kick_it_to_me.html
