Young Empowered and Healthy

True Manhood Protects Women Against Violence

yeahadmin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:00:33 +0000

Y.E.A.H Initiative and its partners launched the prevention of Violence Against Women (VAW) campaign on 8th November 2011 at the People’s Space, Hotel Africana. VAW is the third campaign under the True Manhood Campaign banner subsequent to the faithfulness and responsible drinking campaigns, which were addressed by Y.E.A.H in the first two phases of the True Manhood campaign. The Guest of honour was Dr. David Kihumuro Apuuli, Director General of the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC), the champions of the Y.E.A.H initiative.

The campaign aims to convince young men to speak out against violence against women and to educate men and women about the new Domestic Violence Act. Ultimately, the True Manhood campaign aims to influence young men to reject violence in their relationships.

In her remarks, Anne Gamurorwa the Executive Director, Y.E.A.H said that Y.E.A.H is focusing on VAW because: according to research, VAW is widespread; it increases men’s and women’s risk to HIV; causes more problems beyond HIV e.g. disfiguring, injuring, humiliation and killing of women by their partners; women do not speak out against violence because they think it is normal or they do not want to see their men go to prison and the men who know that VAW is not right do not speak out against it with their families and friends. “I call upon men to stand up and refuse to accept VAW, work out their differences non-violently and to respect women as their equal with equal rights to a peaceful existence”, said Ms. Gamurorwa

While launching the VAW campaign, Dr. Kihumuro Apuuli said that Violence Against Women is an important reason why HIV has continued to spread in Uganda. “Women in abusive relationships less likely to tell their partner if they test positive, less likely to ask partners to use condoms, or even to test together for HIV”, added Dr. Kihumuro. He urged fellow men to behave respectfully towards women, reject violence in their relationships, speak out to others about violence in relationships and seek to know the Domestic Violence (DV) Act 2010. He also encouraged the women to seek protection from the LC system, police and other duty bearers if experiencing violence using the DV Act.

The prevention of Violence Against Women campaign was launched at regional level in the districts of Mbarara, Jinja, Luweero and Lira.

The Violence Against Women (VAW) Campaign materials include:

The 2010 Y.E.A.H Survey Highlights: Young People’s Sexual and Reproductive Health
Assessment Tool
Rock Point 256 Comic book:
Fact sheet on VAW
Billboards and Posters

Rock Point 256 Actors and Listeners Receive Awards

yeahadmin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:56:48 +0000

The Young Empowered And Healthy (Y.E.A.H) initiative organised the 2nd Rocks Awards on September 23rd 2011 at Silver Springs in Bugolobito recognize the actors, actresses, directors, scriptwriters, producers and sponsors involved in producing the popular weekly radio serial dramaRock Point 256. Every week, over 3.8 million youths (15-24 years) listen to Rock Point 256, according to recent research. The drama is designed to get people talkingabout “something for something love”, what it means to be a man, HIV, alcohol, violence against women, family planning, and communication between adults and young people.

Selected by a panel of judges, eight actors and actresseswho perform in the four language dramas received cash prizes for their outstanding performances. Y.E.A.H. also presented “Rock in Me” awards to five young listeners from Central, Northern, Western and Eastern regions of the country who have been inspired by Rock Point 256 to live healthy lifestyles. Each received a cash prize.

Over 500 guests including Rock Point 256 actors and actresses, celebrities, fans, supporters, and the media attended the event.

More than 400 talented young writers, directors, producers, actors, actresses and national and international communication expertshave broughtRock Point 256 to life every week on 16 radio stations in 4 languages since 2005. Rock Point 256 was named the best radio programme of 2010 by New Vision readers, and has won an international award for excellence in HIV communication from AfriComNet.

“Performing artists should continue using their talents to contribute towards the reduction of HIV amongst young people in Uganda,” said Ms Anne Gamurorwa, the Y.E.A.H Director

The Y.E.A.H Initiative was started in August 2004 by the Uganda AIDS Commission with support from the United States Agency for International Development, and is managed by Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU) with technical assistance from the Health Communication Partnership (HCP). Y.E.A.H designs and implements multi-channel social and behaviour change communication campaigns for and by young people, 15-24 years old in Uganda, with the aim of reducingnew HIV infections, early pregnancies and early school leaving.

The Health Hotline – 0312 500 600

yeahadmin — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:07:11 +0000

Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU) with technical support from Health Communication Partnership (HCP) is operating a hotline providing reliable, anonymous and non-judgmental services for callers seeking information, counseling and referral. The hotline started operating in October 2009. STRIDES for Family Health and Uganda Health Marketing Group are currently providing additional support to the Health Hotline.

Councillors respond to calls at the call center

A five year strategic plan for the hotline is currently being developed and will guide future operations of the hotline working in partnership with the Ministry of Health.

Issues Handled

The hotline addresses issues in 6 major areas these include; HIV/AIDS, Family Planning, Maternal Health, Alcohol Abuse, Gender Based Violence and Malaria.

The Telephone System
The Health Hotline has a Call Center and a PABX which distributes calls automatically, monitors calls/ agents, records call statistics and has call waiting and call forwarding functions.

It also has a computerized database system containing Frequently Asked Questions, referral information, quick links, caller’s data and national and international policy guidelines.

Working Hours
It’s available Monday – Friday from 8.00am – 4.00pm. Closed over the weekends and public holidays

Contact us
For Information and Counseling Call – 0312 500 600

For Partnership and funding Contact
Anne Gamurorwa Executive Director CDFU anne@cdfuug.co.ug or
Faith Nassozi Kyateka Hotline Coordinator faithn@hcpuganda.org

Statistics April – June 2011

During the last quarter (April – June 2011) the hotline received a total of 16,646 calls from all different parts of the country. Male callers dominated the calls with over 70% of the total number of calls as illustrated in the graph below.

Statistics

The Power of “Young, Empowered and Healthy”

yeahadmin — Sun, 22 May 2011 15:20:46 +0000

“My name is Nyanga Stephen. I recently won the seat for Mayor for Aleptong district. I stood on the UPC ticket. I won my opponent with a difference of 16,800 votes.

I credit my victory to Y.E.A.H, an organization for and by the young people. I first met Y.E.A.H in 2007. I was trained as a YAG member (Young Peoples Advisory Group). Whenever I went out to speak to young people during the Y.E.A.H activities, I became popular among the young people. They loved messages that we passed on to them. These were Y.E.A.H messages aimed at attaining healthy and reproductive lives.. These messages made me very popular among the young people, who are the majority voters in the area.

I later on formed a community based organization (CBO) and continued to implement Y.E.A.H activities and messages. I am still the focal person for Y.E.A.H at the organization.

Y.E.A.H’s exposure and programs have been very encouraging and empowering for me

I applaud Y.E.A.H for the good work it is doing among young people. I pray that it continues with such activities geared towards empowering young people attain their full potential in life by leading healthy and productive lives.

Please don’t stop until every young person has discovered the Rock in them.”

The Health Hotline changed my life…

yeahadmin — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:26:06 +0000

When the Y.E.A.H ‘Prevention of Alcohol Abuse’ campaign was launched in 2010 many people called it the missing link in the fight against HIV. A year down the line what impact has it really had on peoples’ lives?

Duncan’s mum was going about her daily chores when she heard a radio advert by Y.E.A.H asking young people to call a National Health Hotline if they are having problems with alcohol. She pleaded with her son to call in. He was very reluctant and as usual ignored her. However, with time, she was able to convince him to make that call. Duncan’s call was received by a counsellor who helped Duncan take the first step to making a change.

As Duncan narrates his story, what struck me most are the several scars on his body; scars he sustained in accidents when drunk and in fights with married men whose wives he was preying on when drunk. In addition to that, his once winsome smile that I see in his photo album is no more. With the smoking, his teeth and gums are dark, with several gaps in between, as a result of losing several teeth in accidents. He says, ‘After university, I got a good job. Shortly after, I got married. Life was good. My family had great expectations in me. Being the first born, my six siblings looked up to me morally and financially.

I worked so hard. I dreamed of attaining a PHD one day. However, this changed drastically when my workmate, slowly but successfully lured me to start drinking. I drunk all my earnings and spent more on prostitutes. I went as far as disrespecting my wife by taking prostitutes home. Her patience ran out. She left but I was not bothered. I thought that I had attained my freedom. At the time, she had tried to involve several people to speak with me to change but I had ignored them. Such talks always ended in insults. I called them all sorts of names. They chose to leave me alone.

One morning, after spending the night in the bar, I reported to work in my usual state, red eyed, drunk, stinking of alcohol and very shabby indeed. I was fired. After a few months, the landlord evicted me out of the house for failure to pay rent. I went home. My mother wept when she saw me, and yet I didn’t feel any remorse for her. What had happened to her son? Where did she go wrong as a mother? I went ahead to subject her to more pain by selling whatever I could steal from her property in order to afford a drink.

The poor woman had resigned to praying for me. And indeed God answered her prayers. It has not been easy but with the support of the Hotline counsellor and rehabilitation centre, am steadily getting back on track. To the young people, don’t wait to lose your family, job, dignity before you stop drinking. You may recover but what about the wasted years and probably, the positive HIV status?”

If you are in a similar situation or know of someone who is, please contact the National Health Hotline on 0312 500 600.

Rock Point 256 Episodes

yeahadmin — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:04:19 +0000

The sixth season of Rock Point 256 is soon coming to an end and oh, how we shall miss it. The stories we’ve heard on our radio every weekend this year have been very deep, personal, and liberating in many ways. The stories ranged from Safe Male Circumcision, to Prevention of Mother to child Transmission of HIV, to Family planning and Violence Against Women. Take a look

Safe Male Circumcision (SMC)
We learnt from Vincent that so many young people in Uganda fear catching STIs almost more than anything, and the idea of circumcision appeals to them because of it’s ability to reduce chances of infection. The problem though is that many of the young people think that circumcision is painful, which is actually true if it is not Safe Medical Circumcision. So, when many of them learn that the operation is actually painless, they have no problem having it done; though of course quite a big number will get circumcised because their friends have done. Did you know that many young people think that circumcision increases their sexual energy?

Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT)
Peace is from a dysfunctional family. She is married off by her step father at the age of 17 and even when this depresses her, she is thankful because she can now have a man to love her, unlike her step father who abused her, and refused to pay for her school fees. But marriage for her is not particularly liberating. She marries Deo, a big-headed wife beater that drinks everyday and sleeps with everyone that consents. This happened some five year ago.

Early this year, Peace goes for her first antenatal clinic, and finds out she is HIV positive. When Deo finds out she is, he chases her out of the house immediately and ordered her to leave her 2 toddler daughters behind. Remember she can’t go back to her parents because they are not the best people in the world, and also, it is in the dead of the night. So Peace has to stick around Rock Point. It’s around 12 midnight and it is raining so she has to find shelter immediately. She runs to the nearest neighbor and knocks on the door. Mama Steve opens for her, consoles her and supports her. It is a god-given opportunity for Peace because Mama Steve then gives her hope and becomes a pillar that she leans on to save her unborn baby from getting HIV.

Family Planning (FP)
Our favorite characters for some reason were Kenneth and his wife Goretti; may be the reason is that theirs was perfect love story. We all love stores, right? Good. And by us, I mean the audience because we always wait on our radio station of choice for the Rock Point 256 slot every weekend. Kenneth and Goretti is a couple made in heaven. They talk together about anything ranging from sex to money and dreams. They fight and make up. They laugh and cry. Like when we first met the two Rock Point dwellers, they were crying of hunger and poverty with their two babies, mercy and Grace. Then we saw them cry a little more during the Rock Point floods that left them with absolutely nothing. And then an actual tragedy happened. Goretti’s sister was travelling to Rock Point to give birth and died in a motor accident that was caused by the floods. Long story short, Kenneth and Goretti had no choice but to be new parents to the children of the deceased lady, Brain and Ivan. It was complete chaos in this home. If they were stressed about feeding the two toddlers before, now they were depressed by the fact that they had to feed two-year old Brian, and four year-old Ivan. But then, they didn’t give up. Soon there was reason to smile when Kenneth harvested huge amounts of honey from his hives. Now, feeding the four children became a little lighter, and their faces brightened. But once beaten, twice shy. Kenneth didn’t want to wind up penniless again so he started thinking about planning his finances. As he talked to his friends and his mother, he found out that family planning would help him and his wife to live happier, because they would have time to make money, and it would be easier for them to save money and build a strong foundation for their family. The ends with Kenneth and Goretti having the best sex on the face of the earth, and finding out that before family planning, they really never enjoyed sex. They were always worried of conception and all its implications.

Violence Against Women (VAW)
Ever heard of those gruesome stories where a lady loses a husband and the family turns against her in all sorts of way? Nora had always heard those stories until her husband Julius died. And then her life became a living hell. An elder brother to Julius, Judas came over to ‘console’ the family and never left after the funeral. Then he started complaining about his bed in the visitors room, then started sneaking into Nora’s bedroom and demanding sex in vain. He then started beating her. She ran to the police but she was sent back home with no help. Meanwhile, the man was stealing her money, beat her to pulp and threw her out of her house. But soon, a clearheaded constable got concerned about Nora’s problems and talked to her about a new law: the Domestic Violence Act. To cut the long story short, Nora filed a domestic violence case with the magistrate and got her money and home back. And when Judas stupidly defied court orders not to get anywhere near Nora, he was sentenced to two years in prison. Nora is back to normal and she is now rebuilding her life, thanks to the DV act.

Rock Point 256, 21st Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 20th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 19th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 18th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 17th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 16th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 15th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 14th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 13th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 12th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 11th Quarter Episodes

Rock Poing 256, 10th Quarter Episodes

Rock Poing 256, 9th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 8th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 7th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 6th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 5th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 4th Quarter Episodes

Rock Point 256, 3rd Quarter Episodes English Episode Twenty Seven – Thirty Nine

Rock Point 256, 2nd Quarter Episodes English Episode Fourteen – Sixteen

Rock Point 256, 1st Quarter Episodes

YEAH drama is ‘Best Radio Program’ of 2010

yeahadmin — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 06:26:38 +0000

Rock Point 256 voted ‘best radio programme of the year’
Rock Point 256 was voted ‘best radio programme of the Year’ on 31st December 2010. Six years down the road, the program has been appreciated for its tremendous positive contribution towards young people’s lives. It was no wonder, that last year; readers of New Vision voted it as the programme of the year, beating hundreds of programmes on over 100 fm stations in the country. John Erema, the features editor of New Vision remarked that out of over eight thousand entries they received, over six thousand voted Rock Point 256 as the best program.

‘We were amazed at the way our readers voted. It did not occur to us that Rock Point 256 would surpass all other programmes and with such a large volume of votes”, he comments. John added that the voting criteria entirely depended on statistics and hence represented the high level of listener ship that the Rock point drama enjoys.
Rock Point 256 reaches over 50% of young people between 15 to 24 years on 16 radio stations countrywide. You may wonder why Rock Point 256 is so popular. Here is what our listener’s have to say…

Benson from Jinja says:
“I was a drunkard and I neglected my family. Whenever I got home, I beat up my wife and demanded for food and yet I never used to leave even a coin behind. When I listened to Rock Point 256, I felt so guilty. At first, I thought the drama actually took place in our village. I saw myself in one of the characters. It was so real. Man, I had to change. And now, I not only make a date with the series but also recommend it. Trust me, there is nothing like it in Uganda.”

Peninah, a University student is in agreement with Benson.
“Unlike the boring monotonous messages we hear about HIV/AIDS, abstinence and alcoholism, Rock Point 256 is unique, interesting, intriguing and addictive. You end up changing and carrying on the campaign while having fun. Thank you Rock Point 256”

Sara, a 30 year old teacher adds that, “Rock Point 256 is real. It clearly shows what happens in our village. Its true reflection of society has made it appeal not only to me but also several people in my age bracket. I don’t allow myself to miss an episode. Its indeed the best radio program.”

Rock Point 256 is produced by Young Empowered and Healthy (Y.E.A.H) which is implemented by Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU) on behalf of Uganda AIDS Commission and its partners. Rock Point 256 is aimed at steering youths towards behaviour change for healthy productive lives. The story centres on ‘Rock Point’, a village somewhere in Uganda. It could be your village. There are several characters, mainly young men and women taking the ‘rocky’ path of life. Some are experiencing violence from a partner, others are struggling with alcohol, or struggling to go and test for HIV. This reflects what exactly goes on in our different communities. Each one makes different decisions….but how do these decisions impact on their lives?
To find out, listen to Rock Point 256 every week on these radio stations (this will be link to the broadcast schedule)

Y.E.A.H scoops AfriComNet Awards

yeahadmin — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 04:37:05 +0000

On 28^th May 2007, the first ever African Network for Strategic Communication in Health and Development (AfriComNet) annual awards were held in South Africa. The awards were aimed at recognizing the outstanding contributions made by organisations and individuals in strategic HIV/AIDS communication in Africa.

AfriComNet Awards 2008

Y.E.A.H has continued to win awards in various categories including ‘Best Multi-Channel Communication Initiative’ for Rock Point 256 and radio serial drama and comic book series in 2007, and ‘Best Community Inter-personal Initiative’, for Trigger Videos.. Its pioneer campaign, ‘Something for Something Love’ has also won an award.

Anne Gamurorwa, the director of YEAH at CDFU is very proud of these achievements.

“I feel great about this success. I now view our programme as a centre of excellence. I am looking forward to a time when we shall be consulted on matters to do with strategic communication.”

Anne adds that the AfriComNet awards are for the whole of Africa and hence have increased their exposure and been a learning forum. “Even when we don’t win, we are able to learn from our competitors” she says.

The deadline for entries for this year’s AfricomNet awards is 30^th April 2011. Y.E.A.H looks forward to more awards then.

For more information on the AfriComNet awards please click here

Rate your drinking habits …

yeahadmin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:10:45 +0000

If you drink alcohol beverages, you have to adapt some responsible behaviors. Drinking can be done in moderation, if not, there can be serious consequences. Remember that drinking responsibly can save your life and the lives of others.

Are You DRINKING RESPONSIBLY?

Ask yourself these 5 questions

[QUIZZIN 1]

‘Prevention of Alcohol Abuse’ campaign launched

yeahadmin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 07:58:54 +0000

Y.E.A.H launched the ‘Prevention of Alcohol Abuse’ campaign at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala on the 14^th July 2010, in the eastern and central regions on 22^nd July 2010 and in the northern and south-western regions on 27^th July 2010. The launches were attended by over 900 people, representing partners in the fight against HIV; line ministries; NGOs; young people; and the media. During the launches in the regions, young people took part in free interactive sessions which challenged them to assess their drinking habits and commit to drinking responsibly or not at all, accessed HIV Counselling and Testing services and won some great prizes!

The ‘Prevention of Alcohol Abuse’ campaign’ marks the second phase of the ‘True Manhood’ campaign’ which is addressing the practices in the Ugandan society that encourage men to behave in ways that put them in particular danger of HIV, namely having more than one sexual partner; using violence to control women; drinking excessive alcohol; and using gifts or favours to get sex.

Uganda is ranked number one out of 189 WHO member states in level of alcohol consumption. This has implications for HIV prevention especially as research has shown that the links between alcohol consumption and risk of HIV infection are clear. Alcohol consumption can impair judgment, lower inhibitions, and increase risky sexual behaviour. A study conducted in Rakai between 1994 and 2002 found that alcohol consumption before sex increased the risk of acquiring HIV infection by 67% for men and 40% for women. Individuals consuming alcohol before sex were 38% more likely to report inconsistent condom use in the past 6 months and 42% were more likely to report a greater number of sexual partners in the past year than those who didn’t consume alcohol before sex (Zablotska et al. 2006).

Launching the campaign in Kampala, Director General of UAC Dr. David Kihumuro Apuuli said “Research shows that alcohol can cause you to make poor decisions, such as having casual sex with multiple sexual partners or sex without a condom.Messages calling on Ugandan’s to drink responsibly are now common. What is not clear though is what it means to drink responsibly. How much alcohol is too much? The ‘True Manhood’ campaign is addressing alcohol abuse by challenging young men to do what it takes to protect themselves and others from HIV by assessing their drinking habits and committing to drinking responsibly or not at all. Let us all take the Y.E.A.H alcohol test to assess ourselves.”

YEAH will reach out to young men using multi-channels including its popular Rock Point 256 radio serial drama and comic books, radio spots, posters, popular music, and community peer-to-peer activities.