Community participation in counseling the youth on Hiv/aids prevention in Nanguba location Funyula division: Busia district

Abstract

The broad objective of the study was to investigate the role of community based institutions in counseling the youth about HIV/AIDS prevention. Specifically, the study focused on identification and description of community institutions, their knowledge on HIV/AIDS prevention, constraints they encounter when counseling the youth and the strategies they attempt to put in place to remove the barriers. In addition, an attempt was made to describe the perceptions that the youth have about the information that is provided by the community based institutions. A random sample size of 150 youths from a sample frame of 15-29 years old provided data through a semi-structured questionnaire. Additional data were collected through indepth interviews with key informants and focus group discussions with he youth from the Anglican and Catholic Church. A person was the unit of analysis. Cultural Ecology was used as the theoretical framework to guide the study. The study was based on the assumptions that community based institutions are not sufficient for counseling the youth, social and economic constraints inhibit information on counseling and the perceptions that the youth have about the information provided during counseling contribute to behaviour change. Study results suggest that there are community institutions but very few of them attempt to articulate issues that pertain to HIV/AIDS. Those that articulate HIV/AIDS related issues address the population as a whole but not the youth as a specific group. The youth get advice via the general community gatherings like in the church, during funerals and he community "barazas". Institutional efforts are constrained by factors like lack of funds, culture, frequent migration by the youth seeking for the means of livelihood and the inaccessibility to some areas of the location due to lack of adequate means of transport and poor infrastructure. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were drawn: 1. There is need of concerted efforts by all stakeholders to set up convenient youth gathering venues for counseling. 2. The community based institutions should collaborate with the government and well wishers to establish a fund to enhance mobility in the area. 3. The content of the study literature should be practically relevant to the needs of the youth's sexuality. 4. The people who deliberately infect others need sustainable counseling in order to go for voluntary testing and demystify the disease. 5. The government should introduce compulsory free universal primary education to reduce levels of illiteracy. 6. Video halls and local funeral discos should either be controlled or abolished.