MTV "Staying Alive"; Ignite Kenya SHUGA
Contributed by: Anne Nzuki
A sexual health campaign led by the youth to conquer HIV/AIDS
BACKGROUND
(some parts taken from the Staying Alive Foundation Website):
The MTV Staying Alive Foundation is a global grant-making organization whose mission is to “encourage, energize, and empower young people who are involved in HIV/AIDS awareness, education and prevention campaigns.” One of the current projects run by the Foundation is the Ignite campaign. This project challenges young people to ignite a movement to change their sexual behavior, spread awareness in their communities, and reduce the stigma surrounding the disease in creative ways. This project addresses sexual networks and living with HIV/AIDS in the context of community cultures and norms.
Ignite Kenya kicked off with a three-part drama series that delved into the lives of six college-age youth and explored their sexual encounters, their perception of HIV/AIDS, and the challenges they faced including the stigma that surrounds getting tested.
RESEARCH ON THE ISSUE AND THOSE WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE SOCIAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN.
An estimated 1.5 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. According to avert.org, women in Kenya between the ages of 15-24 are four times more likely to be infected with HIV than men of the same age. Also, HIV is most prevalent in urban areas as compared to rural areas, 8.4% to 6.7% respectively. However, the majority of those infected, 1 million, live in rural areas, while the rest, approximately 0.4 million, reside in the urban areas. The aim of this national campaign was to reach a great number of people, especially those living in the urban areas. One of the main objectives of the campaign was to discourage reckless sexual behavior among urban youth, and to encourage more youth to get tested more often. The overarching goal was to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS by promoting preventative measures, and to eliminate the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS testing. This campaign was funded by the MTV Staying Alive Foundation.
AUDIENCE AND CHALLENGES ADDRESSED BY THE CAMPAIGN.
This campaign was mostly targeted at the youth, more so those who live in urban areas. Some of the issues the campaign challenged included:
a) Ignorance
Some urban youth feel almost immune to the HIV/AIDS pandemic because they live in civilly advanced areas, such as the big cities of Nairobi, Nakuru, and Kisumu, and as a result they engage in reckless sexual behavior with multiple partners. The drama touches on the “AIDS would never happen to me” mentality that some urban youth have.
b) Stigma
There is also a stigma that surrounds testing that prevents most of these youth from getting tested. Some may feel as though visiting local testing centers such as VCT centers (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) may be perceived as acknowledgement that one has the disease.
IMPLEMENTING THE CAMPAIGN
Pictures:
