YONECO

Author(s): Juulke Brosky
Publication date: Thursday 03 February 2005

Involvement of children, youth and women in HIV/Aids issues in Southern Africa

Country: Malawi, Southern Africa
Sector: HIV/Aids, youth, human rights, gender
Founded: 1997
Website: www.yoneco.org.mw

Background:
Involvement of youth and children in HIV/Aids issues is given little attention in Southern Africa. Youth prevention programmes and child participation are minimal, whereas the largest number of new HIV/Aids infections in Southern Africa, occur among youth, especially among girls between 5 and 24 years old.

Children, youth and disadvantaged women belong to high-risk groups, due to their vulnerable status in society. Commercial sex workers, widows and single women are more at risk than any other group in society, the availability of condoms leaves the decision whether to protect oneself with a condom with men, and as such girls continue to be prone to the HIV/Aids pandemic, although it still is a step in the right direction.

The Youth Net and Counselling Organisation (YONECO) is one of the few organisations that aims to involve children, youth and young women in HIV/Aids issues. YONECO is a non-political, non-governmental organisation that promotes democratic values and human rights through civic education. Special attention is paid to increase of opportunities and emphasis on significant roles and positive identities in order to inverse the vulnerable status of youth and young women in society. Through economic empowerment and education on skills to negotiate, they are enabled to make more informed decisions.

Contribution to Civil Society Building:
YONECO envisions a HIV/Aids free society that respects human rights and democratic values and principles. In order to achieve such a society, YONECO mobilises communities for action through awareness building, information sharing, democracy campaigns and civic voter education on human rights, democracy, governance and elections.

YONECO emphasises the importance of sharing information and lessons learned. In regional conferences, children and young people are given an opportunity to take part in the discussions and share their viewpoints. This is one of the ways to promote participation of youth, women and children in community life. Through workshops, popular theatre and the media, YONECO encourages civic awareness and participation in democratic elections, democratisation- and governance processes.

At a local level, YONECO calls attention to the importance of youth- and women friendly drop in centres where testing for HIV/Aids and voluntary counselling are offered. Counselling can foster knowledge and life skills that make children, young people and women more assertive and able to withstand peer pressure and other social problems. Through peer education at schools and in youth clubs, YONECO tries to reach children and young people in or out of school, or on the streets.

By strengthening local NGOs and CSOs, YONECO supports the empowerment of communities and community based groups. Special attention is given to care centres for Aids patients and orphans at grass root level, and those organisations that improve the socio-economic situation for youth and women, or those that increase gender awareness at community level.

Contribution to Millennium Development Goals:
YONECO is a remarkable player in the area of youth, children and HIV/Aids in Malawi. Through education and networking, both on a local and regional level, YONECO attempts to eradicate the spread of HIV and contributes significantly to the combat of HIV/Aids (MDG 6). Promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women (MDG 3), already was a part of YONECO’s mission statement even before the Millennium Development Goals were established.

Through improvement of life skills and education, YONECO wants to reach economic empowerment and gender equality. From this ambition, a short line towards Goal 2, to achieve universal primary education and Goal 1, to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, is easily drawn.

From the Field:
According to Gertrude Kachitsa, project officer of YONECO, future women leaders, policy and decision makers have their base and roots in what happens to a girl child today, but they lack social support systems to protect them. The social and cultural factors affecting a girl child have to be addressed. On HIV/Aids she notes that young girls have become the victims of the situation socially and biologically. The girl child needs an enabling environment that respects her as a human being, having rights to enjoy and realise her potentialities to the fullest. Girl empowerment is a key to prevention and mitigation of HIV/Aids. Therefore the government should address issues affecting women and enforce laws that protect girls and women.

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