A Decade of the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre

The first program involves the applied use of two videos, the Karate Kids and the
Goldtooth, through Risk and Decision-Making Workshops. The Karate Kids has a specific
focus on HIV/AIDS while the Goldtooth primarily targets drug abuse, but also includes issued
of crime and prostitution. In most instances, videos are used only as a source of entertainment
and thereby become a poor excuse for a teacher or babysitter. The Risk and Decision-Making
Workshops instruct project staff on how to break the videos into shorts in order to facilitate indepth discussions with youth on sensitive issues. Staff also learns techniques on how to
incorporate the use of life skills based games, role-plays, and other activities, such as
community theatre.
Many of the groups of youths are not readily found in convenient locations, especially
locations with electricity, which makes the use of a television and a video player impossible.
Therefore, we have developed a second program, a manual and workshop of life-skills building
activities, which may be used individually or combined as a curriculum as circumstances will
allow.
The Friends Tell Friends on the Street manual enables field workers to work directly
with the youth, as well as provides the street youth with accessible, educational and fun
activities, which can help them communicate important messages to others in their friendship
networks. The manual includes activities in the areas of HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, personal
safety, general health, and child rights among others, Capacity among field workers is
strengthened through life skills-based training workshops the incorporate elements of
storytelling and community theatre.

The friends Tell
Friends on the
Street manual
enables field
workers to work
directly with the
youfh

HIV/AIDS Education for Out-of-School Youth
In many rural areas of Southeast Asia, more than 70% of youths do not continue their
education beyond the primary school level. Of those who do continue, many do not complete
a full secondary school curriculum. Many of these youths seasonally migrate to the larger
towns to find seasonal employment or migrate to the cities to find permanent year-round work.
There are few opportunities for these youths to access information on HIV/AIDS and
STD as well as build skills in decision making and problem solving. Most of the existing
programmes that target this group attempt to reach them in the workplace, i.e. in the factories
in the cities to which they have migrated. An alternative is to reach them in their home
communities. In 1997-98 the Thai Red Cross Society under UNICEF sponsorship worked
closely with rural schools to develop a strategy to tap into this network of out-of-school youths.
One of the greatest outcomes of the training process has been the building of selfesteem and self-confidence among the youth community. The project has also given many
rural youths access to information and education on HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and other issues
important to their daily lives, which they would not otherwise have.
Youth Peer Education on Reproductive Health, STD and HIV/AIDS for Youth in School/College
In 1995, given the rapid transmission of HIV throughout Asia, the Asian Red Cross/
Red Crescent AIDS Task Force (ART) initiated a single collaborative Youth peer Education
Programme Reproductive Health, STD, and HIV/AIDS. The youth peer education programme
combines clear and accurate information on reproduction, STD and HIV/AIDS with participatory,
skills-building activities to equip and empower young people with skills, motivation, and support
to sustain existing safe behaviour and change unsafe behaviour. The key training tool for the
youth peer education programme is a core manual developed in each country by the youth
community, with the youth community, which reflects the country's language, culture, and
socio-economic circumstances.
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THE THAI RED CROSS AIDS RESEARCH CENTRE 2002 9