An important facet of the program is the training and support of 135 peer educators who pass on knowledge to youth, and provide condoms to those who need them. In fact, many of the peer educators have become walking “condom dispensers” and sometimes receive a knock on their doors in the dead of night from friends seeking condom support! In addition, the peer educators visit primary schools and secondary to schools to deliver age-specific messages to children in an entertaining way.
Each of the nine centers across Kenya hosts soccer programs that attract talented young athletes. Practices and team meetings give our peer educators a chance to meet with teams in small groups sessions to talk about safe sex, distribute condoms, and discuss HIV and AIDS with players on an individual level. The eventual tournaments provide a venue for communication of these messages to the masses of people that come to watch (up to 4,000 enthusiastic spectators attend an urban game).
The Wasichana Wote Wasome (WWW) project has the goal to improve school enrolment, retention, attendance and learning outcomes of girls in school throughout Kenya. The project, funded by the UK government, consists of a consortium of five organizations, with AMURT being the lead implementing partner in Samburu and Mombasa Counties.
AMURT does teacher training in Nepal to assist public school teachers to welcome back students that had been out of school since the earthquakes. The training draws on multiple resources such as trauma reduction, creative therapies, yoga and group therapies. As most schools were damaged or destroyed AMURT builds Temporary Learning Centers that starts with the students decorating their classrooms.
From March to October 2010 AMURT ran 10 Child-Friendly Spaces in Port-au-Prince. The purpose of the centers was to help children affected by the earthquake restore normalcy and improve overall well-being in their lives with psycho-social and educational support. Besides motivational and creative activities, children in the Child-Friendly Spaces program received a hot meal and nutritional support. In all 4,000 children and child minders have benefited.