Community to Community active in Mauritius....... Peer Educators, responding positively

[Autry Haynes]

With the support of the PILS (Prévention Information Lutte contre le Sida) NGO and the Global Fund, the AILES NGO is currently benefiting from the help of Peer Educators to contribute to their dream: “An AILES comprised of different regional neighbourhood houses where respect and dignity are provided in a safe healthy environment; supporting and accompanying people living with HIV and people who use drugs to achieve their full potential.”

Based on its experience with SALT, AILES feels that the approach will make a difference with the attitude and work of Peer Educators. AILES invited the Constellation to support the training of Peer Educators.

 

Peer Educators found SALT stimulating and they were eager to continue with activities after they 'tasted' it. They appreciated where it was taking them. They felt that they could use SALT to engage communities, to stimulate and nurture them to get the results needed. To accomplish this however, they agree that more than just stimulation was needed.

 

They felt and understood the importance/value of the work they are doing now as Peer Educators. Most of them are or were drug users and they have empathy/compassion for those they now have the opportunity to serve and especially are concerned about youths, so prevention is foremost in their minds. The stepping stone/practice: "We have an approach to stimulate and nurture communities and to ensure that communities trust us" speaks VOLUMES... Here is where SALT means a lot to them. They understand the communities that they have to work within, and what drugs/HIV/hepatitis are doing in these communities.

 While they understand the magnitude of their work and the responsibility they have ......they are considerate that family life is important to them too......so we want to accomplish our work with good results without compromising family 'quality time' for the same reasons as mentioned above.....they do not want families to be in vulnerable situations....they had enough of that.....but have compassion and understand the NEED of the communities they work with.

 

They are appreciative of the opportunity with AILES, hence their dream: “Working with AILES to stimulate and nurture communities to become free from social ills as we enjoy more leisure time and separating our work life from home life” which also fits the dream of AILES.....by the way they do not yet know AILES dream which was done way back in the first quarter of 2015.

 

[Autry Haynes]

Dear Rituu, the SMART action plan is NOW being rolled out....the next SMART action relates to this stepping stone:

1. We have the appropriate approach to stimulate and nurture communities to reduce social ills and we have trust between communities and us as Peer Educators:

2. SMART action:- Appropriate skill development in SALT as a way of thinking and way of working...the NGO AILES have to garner funding support for this specific action. This is being explored NOW!!!

3. Peer Educators honestly feel and convincingly so, that SALT can support their effort for this Stepping Stone....especially building trust...

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Nice Autry. Please would you have a story to share on what they differently now in terms of working with communities? How has SALT helped them in their work?

[Autry Haynes]

Can be expressed in their SMART action plan to initiate each stepping stone:

Stepping stone 1:

We have the requisite training for the purpose of Peer Educating in Communities

SMART action to achieve the outcome

Training in First AID, Hepatitis (ALL), rapid Testing and Human Rights [Training in human rights has started since this SMART action plan was developed];

Stepping stone 2:

We work as a team with appropriate communication, being non-judgemental and we do effective follow-up

SMART action to achieve the outcome

TEAM building exercise in form of Bring and Share [This was planned as a day-out where every Peer Educator brought something eat and share.....but the main exercise would have been engaging in SALTy ways to inspire / foster team building. They would identify elements required by them to foster working as a TEAM then do a self-assessment on each element. They would have each worked on each element as required and subsequently another Self-assessment done to measure progress. 

 

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Autry, please would you share an example how peer educators are using SALT? Thanks a lot!