Youth Challenge International - Development Program

Our Approach to Youth Development

Current Youth
Development Programming

	-	Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship
	-	HIV/AIDS and Healthy Sexuality for Youth
	-	Rights and Advocacy
	-	Gender Equity for Youth
	-	Environmental Sustainability and Essential Services
	-	Partner Organizational Strengthening

YCI’s Key Methodologies
for Youth Engagement

Our Overseas Partners

Our Publications

HIV/AIDS and Healthy Sexuality for Youth

Every year YCI volunteers and projects focusing on HIV/AIDS education reach more than 5,000 people. YCI volunteers engage local youth and community members in different activities and events to increase their knowledge and awareness about HIV/AIDS and issues surrounding it. YCI programs focus on preventive health measures especially with regards to sexual and reproductive health. Each project country has a program based on its own cultural needs.

Objective: To reduce the incidence of HIV amongst young people and support those who are living with HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS is a critical challenge in the developing world, especially for young people. Knowledge needs to be provided by credible and respectable sources – teachers are frequently a key source of information, but peers are also another major source. YCI focuses on providing accurate information, as well as promoting a peer education system using youth friendly communication methodologies. We also help to provide support to youth living with HIV/AIDS in assisting local services, hospices, and advocacy programming.

Basic HIV/AIDS Education: YCI’s trainings include basic information on HIV/AIDS and counter myths and stigma surrounding the disease. Training also covers societal issues around HIV/AIDS as connected to the particular program themes of sustainable livelihoods, active citizenship and gender equality.

Peer to Peer Outreach: Peer education is a proven model for behaviour change, positioning young people to share accurate information about sex, disease risk mitigation and sexual rights, while empowering youth to be important contributors in addressing existing challenges in their communities. YCI works with local youth leaders in developing and delivering messages about HIV/AIDS.

Care and Support: The third component of our HIV/AIDS programming includes care and support activities for young people living with HIV/AIDS. YCI works in partnership to promote and assist existing local support services for youth living with HIV/AIDS.