Vijana Tunaweza Newala: Findings from a Participatory Research and Action Project in Tanzania

From the Executive summary: "The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and Taasisi ya Maendeleo Shirikishi Arusha (TAMASHA), in collaboration with Pact Tanzania, developed a participatory research and action project (Vitu Newala) that aimed to both understand and respond to girls’ HIV-related vulnerabilities.

The project was conducted in Newala, one of the least developed and poorly resourced districts of Tanzania. The formative research documented in this report highlights four key sources and root causes of girls’ vulnerabilities: harmful gender norms, erosion of the social fabric, exploitative and early sex, and limited communication and support.

In response to the highest priority vulnerabilities identified by girls in the project communities, ICRW and TAMASHA developed and piloted a life skills education (LSE) program. The LSE program provides opportunities for learning and discussion about sexual and reproductive health, empowerment, self-awareness, and other social and interpersonal issues. Over the 6-month pilot period, Vitu Newala Peer Educators held ...sessions in schools and their communities... with participatory activities and information about pregnancy, HIV, self esteem, puberty, love and sex, goal setting, and friendship formation."

The project setting was in 4 rural communities in Newala, Tanzania, beginning with a round of participatory learning and action (PLA) exercises with 82 girls, 12 -17 years old, in July and August 2010. The 8 PLA exercises were led by nine young women 18-24 years chosen by their communities to be trained as Youth Researchers. Examples of the exercises include:

• "Drawing of dreams and aspirations
• Discussion of obstacles to these dreams
• Voting on statements about gender roles and behaviors in the community
• Free listing and ranking of perceived HIV-related risks
• Mapping of the dangerous areas in the community
• Identifying and prioritizing solutions for reducing these risks”

“Researchers also conducted focus group discussions (FGD) and key informant interviews (KII) with adults in each community - parents, community leaders, service providers - to find out their views about the girls’ vulnerabilities and the role the community could play in safeguarding girls’ health and wellbeing. The findings from this research were synthesized and presented stakeholders at the District, ward, and community levels in a validation workshop held in Newala in October 2010.

The formative research findings led the organisations and youth researchers to develop and pilot a life skills education (LSE) programme, including boys, drawing on LSE curricula previously developed by TAMASHA and Pact. The key topics cover sexual and reproductive health education, empowerment, self-awareness, and an array of other social and interpersonal issues. Given the relative strength of peer-to-peer support revealed in the formative research. "Over the seven-month pilot period, Vitu Newala Peer Educators, working in teams of four, held 60 sessions in schools and the community, reaching more than 1,600 young people with participatory activities and information about pregnancy, HIV, self awareness, puberty, love and sex, goal setting, and friendship formation. In addition to these sessions, the Peer Educators began to conduct other activities to raise community awareness and attract a larger audience. These included dramas, soccer matches, and 'circus' dance groups, which blend traditional dance with the hip-hop style that is popular among youth in Newala."

Assessment of the project’s success in reaching adolescents in the four communities and promoting positive change comprised:
1) a series of interviews with youth in the participating communities,
2) a set of endline PLA sessions with girls, and
3) a validation workshop with the Vitu Newala team and district and ward leaders. The details of this assessment are described in the companion document "Using Participatory Research and Action to Address the HIV-related Vulnerabilities of Adolescent Girls in Tanzania". [See Related Summaries.]

Vitu Newala reached a number of process-related objectives over the course of the formative research and pilot period, enumerated here:
9 Youth researchers trained
16 Peer educators trained
8 Guardians trained
60 Community-based activities implemented
1,678 Youth reached through activities

"While this pilot project did not allow for Vitu Newala to reach all of the most vulnerable young people in the participating communities, wider dissemination and outreach are the key goals of the next phases of project activities."