By Gibao Brima

In a bid to help mitigate HIV/ AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STI’s)  related cases, improvement on family planning, human rights issues and sexual gender based violence matters.

A non-governmental organization called women in crisis movement under the dynamic leadership of Rev Mrs. Juliana Kenneth has received support from global fund under the New Funding Model (NFM3) project through Integrated Health Projects Administration unit (IHPAU) to give refresher training to sixty (60) Peer Educators.

The training took place at Freetown Polytechnic Hall Ferry junction Kissy Dock Yard. The training commence for five days.

The purpose of the training is mainly focus on training peer educators as a critical human resource who will interact directly with their peers appropriate peer-led health education.

The objectives of the training are to enable participant (peer educators) be equipped to understand peer-led health and working with young people.

Acquired “BASIC” accurate information on reproductive and sexual health, including sexual transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS.

Understand how to Supportive supervision to peer educators.

Practice a range of interact ivies  steps  reaching peers with reproductive and sexual health, including HIV and AIDs Education.

Understand the steps in linking peers to health facilities and drop in centers

Practice on how to document and record data on to peer education activities.

In her statement Rev. Mrs. Juliana Konteh Underscores that her movement always stands to produce good result therefore the participant should listen attentively since they are going to be taught many concepts which will enable them behave well in the field as good peer educators adding that it will also enable them to handled population  in their various communities.

Director Konteh maintain that at the end of the training (HIV/ AIDs ) test will be conducted  for  participants, she further dilated as peer educator one of the key element to be a peer educator is to maintain confidentiality.

Women in crisis movement she said worked with vulnerable groups, people living   with (HIV/ AIDS), single parent, and rape victims

Among others in a bid to reduce poverty among women’s adding that her movement work with other agencies such as UNDP,Action Aid Sierra Leone, UNAIDS among others. Dilating further Mrs Konteh said her organization is a faith based organization since they believe in God who has helped to keep the organization up to date. She advised the peer educators to help cascade the message to their various communities “do not let the program to get stocked” she said since this project has been going on over fifteen years to date.

Elections she said is around the corner do not involve yourself into violence of any type, “go out and vote wisely for the person you want, rather than involving into violence since WICM will not help anybody that will involve herself into violence”.

In his contribution Mr. David Vandy head of monitoring and Evaluation officer for women in crisis movement

Underscores that peer education is the Concept of training persons to educate and also train People who share the same properties and characteristics.

The concept rest on  the basic that, the message goes down well when people who have similar or the same pre-occupations sit to discuss issues bothering them.

Adding that peer educator is a person identified as a leader in a specific group with the same characteristics to influence change in the group. He further teach on the following topics:

* peer educators initiative

*understanding peer education

*criteria for selecting a peer educator

* roles and responsibilities of peer educators

* characteristics and qualities of a good peer educator

* what every peer educator should know and master

*communication skills in peer education

*understanding the difference between working with key population and general population

*understand the characteristics of female sex workers (FSW’s)

*understand the need for privacy, confidentiality, human rights and behavioral change .

In her teaching Mrs. Gloria O. Carew from National Aids Control Program underscores her teaching on HIV/AIDS, Basic facts on HIV/AIDS, differences between HIV/AIDS, HIV infections, Transmission and prevention, understanding the contextual meaning of stigma and discrimination, types or forms of stigma effects of stigma, consequences of stigma, basic human rights,  sexual gender based violence (SGBV).

The differences between HIV and AIDS, situation of HIV in Sierra Leone among FSW’s myths and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, from HIV to AIDS- what does HIV do in the body? HIV infections, transmission and preventions, HIV testing as an entry point. Rationale for HIV counseling and testing, communication and counseling skills (pre and post counseling)window period, frequency of testing, confidentiality, sexual transmission infections (STI’s), understand the definition of acronym STI, the common type of STI’s in our communities, the most common signs and symptoms STI’s, how are STI’s transmitted, some complications of STI’s and prevention and control of STI’s. She further teach on COVID-19, where COVID-19 hail from, the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, which she said her fatigue, fever, cough, difficult in breath among others.

In Sierra Leone, she said the first COVID case was discovered on 31st March, 2020 from a 37 year old man who travelled from France to Sierra Leone.

However Mrs. Carew admonish the peer educators to know that in counseling love come first and not money adding that they should put off their mobile phone whilst on counseling since phones can cause distraction but above all peer educator should not carry out counseling when they are stress. Denial Mrs. Carew said is responsible for the increase in death of many HIV/AIDS victims.

Dilating further Mrs. Carew said the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS among the general population has shown almost 100% increase from 0.9% in 2002 to 1.7%. Women from 15 to 49 years suffers from HIV/AIDS and has double to that of men at 2.2% according to Mrs. Carew she said statistic from national AIDS secretariat and estimate 78, 667 pupils are leaving with HIV/AIDS however the prevalence rate among the general population in Sierra Leone is low compare to other countries in the world that is why all of should join hands to intensify the sensitization process on HIV/AIDS

In his contribution, Mr. Ahmed Bangura head of outreach program at Women in Crisis Movement schooled the peer educators about how to fill the outreach form and the safe guard policy of the outreach program. He also schooled them about WICM logo, policy and vision, adding that Women in Crisis Movement believing in building spiritual capacity of the peers so that they will have the fear of God to deliver whatever they have been taught. The ingredient for exceptional peer educators Mr. Bangura said are: peers should be bold, au fait with the tools to be used in the field of outreach program and above all they should be outspoken,

Group works, examination in filling of evaluation forms, recap over the lessons taught in the five days training session and transport refunds in the tune of one thousand five hundred leones climax the training.