Take Control Campaign

Using the slogan "take control" and focussing on the rights of young people, the campaign uses posters, leaflets, information bulletins, metal red ribbons, stickers, coasters, T-shirts, and television and radio adverts. The radio adverts are broadcast for free by the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, national broadcaster, and by most private radio stations.

Campaign organisers occasionally launch an intensification month. At these times, efforts to communicate the message are stepped up through strategies including radio quiz competitions, special events, and print adverts. For example, in December 2000, August 2001, and November 2001, seven public and private radio stations hosted competitions. Take Control T-shirts printed with radio station logos served as prizes for the one-month Take Control quiz competitions. These activities were funded by UNICEF and USAID. In addition, the Task Force, in partnership with the Namibian Broadcast Corporation, supported live broadcasts and quiz competitions from information booths at national and regional trade fairs.

These activities, in addition to television discussions and documentaries about HIV/AIDS (including Lydia's Room, Hans and Ultrike, Mr. Positive, and Speak outs), are designed to prepare Namibians for the yearly World AIDS Day. A number of activities were conducted to celebrate the 2002 event through a partnership with the Namibian Planned Parenthood Association. For instance, the NGO Ombetja Yehinga (the Red Ribbon) sponsored the production of a series of HIV/AIDS T-shirts developed by University of Namibia (UNAM) art students. Another NGO, FAWENA, under sponsorship of Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) created an AIDS quilt with the help of local schoolchildren. Workshops were also conducted; in addition to a workshop organised by the Legal Assistance Centre on Stigma and Discrimination, sessions were held for Parliamentarians (on the need for treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS) and for journalists (on the sexual and reproductive health of youth).

HIV/AIDS, Children, Youth, Child Protection, Health, Rights.

The Take Control Campaign is part of the Government-UNICEF Programme of Cooperation for 2002 to 2005. Like the campaign, all of the projects in this collaborative effort address communication and life skills, and emphasise adolescent participation. The campaign's aims are also reflected in the specific aims of the projects that are part of the Programme of Cooperation, including increasing community-level capacity development for interpersonal communication, developing life skills materials for 10- to 14-year-olds, expanding peer education activities, and fostering more effective government capacity and ownership of key project interventions.

The Take Control Campaign involves all sectors (more than 30 representatives from governmental, nongovernmental, private and international organisations representing all spheres of intervention on HIV/AIDS). The Task Force meets on a monthly basis; two sub-committees, one designated for the production of materials and the other for planning campaign events, were established in 2002.

Programme organisers note that the campaign is a starting point for generating interpersonal communication on sexual health and for creating social norms that support risk-reduction practices. They point out that other HIV prevention strategies are needed to bolster campaign efforts.