Reaching Youth Worldwide: Part III - JHU/CCP Programmes - Latin America

Part III - JHU/CCP Programmes
LATIN AMERICA

Bolivia - Dialogo Al Desnudo: Bringing Gender into the Mainstream
(1996)

What it is: Dialogo al Desnudo was a one-hour commercial TV series intended to increase discussion about gender and sexuality. The key audience was adolescents over 15 years of age.

How it works: The show was aired during prime time in Bolivia with 12 weekly one-hour shows. The programme included topics such as adolescent sexuality, communication between a couple, STIs, reproductive rights, and sexual orientation.

Results/Status: Interpersonal communication between partners concerning sexuality increased 14 percentage points, from 58 percent to 72 percent, after the series. Of those who viewed the series, 39 percent watched to learn more about sexuality and 90 percent stated they would like to see more episodes.

Bolivia - Piel De Luna TV Series
(1997)

What it is: Moon Skin (Piel de Luna) was a 15-episode TV mini-series for urban, middle-class youth in Bolivia. The purpose of the series was to address myths and taboos related to human sexuality by presenting accurate, entertaining information on pregnancy, adolescence, interpersonal communication, drug and alcohol use, contraception, and self-esteem.

How it works: Following each episode, a group of adolescents and the TV viewing audience gathered in the studio to discuss the problems presented in the series.

Results/Status: Viewership data showed that Piel de Luna ranked second in popularity. Over 46 percent of the intended audience, adolescents aged 15 to 19, saw the series. Of the intended audience, 82 percent thought the most valuable message and result of the mini-series was "talking about the subject" of sexuality.

Brazil Street Theater
(1995 - 1996)

What it is: Using a participatory Entertainment-Education strategy, JHU/PCS collaborated with the Ceara School of Public Health in developing a community outreach project for young adults in two municipalities in the state of Ceara. Troupes were trained locally to produce folk theater that would complement the MOH health promotion and outreach efforts. JHU/PCS supported troupes with reproductive health messages while the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) supported them with messages about child survival.

How it works: The Brazilian street theater experience is unique because community members identified the health themes and selected the actors to participate in the project. The theater groups consisted of volunteers from all walks of life who were committed to putting on productions in their communities throughout the year. Their training in theater came from participating in workshops, which were facilitated by street performers and covered the basics of designing, writing, and acting.

Results/Status Dramas covering the themes of STIs/HIV and breastfeeding were performed in two regions of the state. This approach was expanded to other health themes.

Brazil - Youth Journalists
(1996 - 2000)

What it is: Comunicacao e Cultura, a local youth-oriented NGO, developed the Editoria De Igual para Igual (Editor from Equal to Equal) programme in 1996 as a way to sensitise and provide correct information to youth on gender, reproductive health, and prevention of STIs/HIV. Through the student-run newspapers, the programme was designed to engage in-school adolescents directly by writing articles and indirectly by reading the newspapers.

How it works: The programme provided an opportunity for the student journalists to participate in workshops that focused on communication, reproductive health, gender, and prevention of STIs/HIV. With this training, tools, and information, youth journalists wrote articles about reproductive health topics and their importance in the lives of school-aged youth.

Information also was disseminated through production of educational materials and student mobilisation activities.

Results/Status: The programme involved 76 schools and trained 455 student journalists who circulated more then 600,000 copies of the newspapers with an average print run of 1,000 to 2,500 per edition. Standardised training manuals were produced. The programme expanded to include out-of-school youth through the development of community newspapers. School professors and students participated in 95 social mobilisation events. In 1999, Comunicacao e Cultura received the Itaue Unicef (Education and Participation) Award, the highest national distinction for NGOs in Latin America.

Ecuador - Arcandina
(1996 - ongoing)

What it is: In December 1996, the first national TV programme to promote awareness of environmental conservation and mobilise support for it among children and adolescents premiered in Ecuador.

How it works: Arcandina (The Andean Ark) uses an Entertainment-Education approach, behavior change strategies, and community mobilisation to encourage children to become environmentally responsible citizens. By the end of its first season in December 1997, 40 shows were produced in Ecuador and aired nationally and internationally. In 1998, JHU/PCS and Arcandina developed a set of messages to help children understand the links among population, health, and the environment. The next season began in 1999 with a ceremony introducing the Arcandina Ark, a mobile center for environmental education. The second season aired from November 1999 to March 2000.

Results/Status: Pre- and post-evaluations from students aged 6 to 12 showed an increase in knowledge of how human behavior can destroy the environment.

Results also showed an improvement in their understanding of problems caused by population. In recognition of its environmental work, Arcandina was named the Best International Environmental Program of 2001 by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and received the National Conservation Achievement Award from the NWF in March 2002.

Mexico - Adolescent Health Programme
(1995 - 1997)

What it is: JHU/PCS provided technical assistance to IMSS (Mexican Social Security Institute), Mexico's largest family planning services provider, to develop an innovative adolescent health programme. Formative research with both providers and adolescents showed that adolescents wanted open and effective communication about sexuality at home, in school, and at service-provider sites. Providers wanted and needed specialized training about working with adolescents in a holistic manner.

How it works: JHU/PCS assisted IMSS in revising the training curriculum for providers including a session assessing their attitudes about educating adolescents on reproductive health. Materials produced for the programme included a video for parents on how to discuss sexual topics with their adolescents, a new programme logo, slogan, and a Youth Kit, which included a flipchart, video, contraceptive samples, and training guide.

Results/Status: The programme expanded to different states where IMSS has adolescent programmes. The programme succeeded in getting multi-sectoral groups to respond better to adolescent needs. These groups met frequently and were comprised of health sector organisations, the Secretary of Education, Federal and State Justice programmes, State Population Councils as well as local NGOs.

Nicaragua - BodyGuard Campaign
(1999 - 2000)

What it is: The BodyGuard campaign was a component of the second phase of the Juntos Decidimos Cuando (Together We Decide When) campaign. Using results of surveys from the first phase and further research, JHU/PCS, in collaboration with the Interagency Commission for Reproductive Health and PROFAMILIA, designed the BodyGuard condom campaign promoting it with a dual protection message: "BodyGuard can protect against both unwanted pregnancies and STIs/HIV/AIDS."

How it works: The social marketing campaign positioned BodyGuard as a popular, modern contraceptive method and made it available to youth in accessible outlets (bars, discos, gas stations). Along with the dual protection message, the Juntos Decidimos Cuando campaign shared information on negotiation skills between sexual partners and the timing when a woman can become pregnant.

Results/Status: Non-traditional outlets such as motels, discos, and markets were a major focus of the sales strategy for BodyGuard condoms and accounted for one-third of sales. Condoms are now available in more than 2,500 outlets that previously did not sell them. More than 1.2 million BodyGuard condoms were sold in 2000 with similar sales figures in 2001.

Peru - Time for Love
(1998)

What it is: JHU/PCS and IGUANA, the most successful soap opera production house in Peru, co-produced a five-episode TV mini-series called Time for Love. The story follows two young couples as they deal with the turbulence of their teenage lives and problems with in-laws after marriage.

How it works Because of its commercial nature, the mini-series was launched with high-intensity promotion that TV networks reserve for their own programming.

Results/Status: Results from an evaluation of 399 high school seniors revealed that 72 percent of girls and 43 percent of boys watched the TV mini-series. About two-thirds of male and female viewers believed the stories portrayed in the mini-series could happen to them, while 15 percent of males and 25 percent of females said they already lived the experiences. Almost one-half of the female viewers talked to others about topics included in the mini-series. JHU/PCS plans to use the mini-series in similar youth programmes throughout Latin America.