Together We Can

An HIV/AIDS Peer Education Program

American Red Cross International Services, in partnership with national Red Cross societies and Ministries of Health in Tanzania, Haiti and Guyana, are helping to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS through the Together We Can program, funded by a grant from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

Recognizing that youth feel a greater comfort and openness when talking to their peers, Together We Can uses a peer-to-peer approach tailored to cultural sensibilities. Red Cross facilitators and Ministries of Health staff members recruit and train the youth who are between the ages of 13 and 19. Emphasis is placed on helping peer educators develop the skills necessary to conduct dynamic peer education activities-such as role-playing and practicing responses to peer pressure-with a non-judgmental approach.

Together We Can started in 1993 as a joint effort between the American Red Cross and the Jamaican Red Cross and was funded by a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). At that time, HIV and AIDS rates in the Caribbean were the second highest in the world after Sub-Saharan Africa.

The program's success led to the creation of the Red Cross Caribbean AIDS Network, and Together We Can programs were replicated by Red Cross leaders throughout the region. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) requested that the Red Cross Caribbean AIDS Network take the lead in key regional youth prevention initiatives.

Since 1998, the American Red Cross has provided Together We Can peer-education training in 14 countries in Africa and the Caribbean.

Program Description

The core areas of training include:

Communication: Peer educators learn how to foster open, non-judgmental communication about sensitive topics in conversations with one or more people.

Understanding Personal Vulnerability: Training focuses on the personal consequences of high-risk behavior.

Abstinence as a Choice: Teens are encouraged to defend their decisions when faced with peer pressure.

Affecting Behavior Change: Since increased knowledge alone does not always change behavior, Together We Can strives to change attitudes in order to better affect behavior change.

Interactions with People Living with HIV/AIDS: HIV-positive individuals participate in the training, revealing their status after forming bonds with fellow participants. Having a friend with the virus puts a human face on the HIV/AIDS crisis.

HIV/AIDS Infection and Prevention: Teens are taught the facts of HIV/AIDS transmission and how to protect themselves.

Managing Risk Situations: Teens learn to anticipate, recognize, and respond appropriately to risk situations.

Program Learning Objectives

After completing Together We Can young people will be able to demonstrate KNOWLEDGE of:

• Three ways HIV is transmitted
• Three myths and misconceptions about HIV transmission
• Where to go for HIV or STI treatment if needed
• Two examples of how discrimination affects the lives and families of people living with HIV/AIDS

Young people will be able to demonstrate a positive ATTITUDE toward:

• Postponing sexual activities as a means of preventing HIV and other STIs as well as pregnancy
• Using protection to prevent HIV, STIs, and unwanted pregnancy if they are sexually active
• Being willing to interact in everyday situations with people living with HIV/AIDS
• Recognizing personal vulnerability and responsibility

Young people will be able to demonstrate that they have acquired SKILLS to:

• Assess and recognize situations in which they may be at risk for HIV infection
• Manage situations in which they may be at risk for HIV infection by
  • Choosing whether or not to have sex
  • Talking about safe sex practices and negotiating for them if necessary
  • Educating others about how HIV is transmitted