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| ORGANISATION: | CECILY'S FUND |
| AREA: | KITWE DISTRICT, ZAMBIA |
| GRANT PERIOD: | 2005-2008 |
| BENEFICIARIES: | 7,500 CHILDREN PER YEAR |
Cecily's Fund was established in 1998 to promote the education and well-being of children orphaned by AIDS in Zambia. Children have been shown to respond well to sensitive sexual health & HIV/AIDS information coming from their peers. However, much of the informal information spread by peers concerning HIV/AIDS is incorrect or even dangerous.
EJAF is working with Cecily's fund and the Copperbelt Health Education Project on a programme with a dual purpose: to give school age children correct and consistent HIV/AIDS information to help protect them from infection and to equip young school leavers orphaned by HIV/AIDS with the skills and the confidence to deliver this information. The aim is to foster an environment in which children feel able to speak up about their questions or concerns without stigma or fear.
EJAF has supported 90 school leavers to become peer educators over 2 years. The Peer Educators were trained in HIV/AIDS, raising their knowledge from an average of 37% to 73%. They were then sent out in pairs or groups, with evenly matched boys and girls, to work in 24 schools reaching over 7,500 children aged 7-18. They have also established 16 anti-AIDS after school clubs reaching more than 1,200 kids.
In an area of very high unemployment it is hoped that the skills developed on the programme will help these orphan Peer Educators in future. Indeed, of the first batch of Peer Educators, 7 have gone on to further study, 7 have found employment and 3 have volunteered their services to another community based organisation.