Life Skills Education Toolkit

LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA 1•

This module addresses both HIV prevention and

care and follows the continuum of care mentioned

in Section One. It addresses the needs of young

people who are vulnerable, uninfected as well as

those who are infected or affected by HIV. For

example, the session on the immune system talks

of both how HIV attacks the immune system and

how, if we are living with HIV, even our weak

immune system can help us. More than the others,

this module may require the facilitator to add

sessions from other modules.

Many young people falsely believe that they are

“immune” to HIV and that HIV happens to other

people and not themselves. Even when they learn

about HIV, the information does not translate into

“their” experience and behavior. The sessions use

different methods to personalize what is learned as

well as develop skills so that children are motivated

to take action. Helping peers understand that they

are at risk is also an empowering process and

brings greater commitment from young people to

continue to practice safe sex. Protection has to

become a way of life to be safe from HIV.

Prevention of HIV is very important and young

people must be aware, not only of how to protect

themselves and practice safe sex, but also of what

preventive behavior they can choose to avoid risk.

They can choose to abstain from sex or delay sex,

or choose to be faithful. If they or their partner are

having sex with more than one person, they can

choose to use a condom.

HIV/AIDS can affect anyone. That is why it is all

the more important that different people in the

community understand their risk, which depends

on their values, their circumstances and their

behavior, and therefore learn to prevent HIV. The

sessions address some important messages related

to STIs and special vulnerabilities of women.

Alcohol and drug abuse can increase the

vulnerability of children to risky behavior. It is

recommended therefore that previous sessions on

these topics from other modules be addressed

as well.

Gender is important not just from the biological

point of view that girls are more vulnerable to HIV,

but also because in many traditional societies,

religious, cultural and social norms enforce strict

standards of virginity and faithfulness in marriage

for women. Double standards in society allow men

to have multi-partner sex or be unfaithful to their

partner. Women do not have the environment or

opportunity to question risky behavior of their

husbands. These norms may also place them at

risk. They have poor knowledge of HIV and lesser

ability to protect themselves.

Any discussion on HIV must necessarily talk of

sex, so it is recommended that sessions from the

module on growing up be conducted first to

ensure that all children clearly understand how sex

plays a role in HIV transmission. If the children

are aware of reproductive and sexual health, then a

quick quiz can help the facilitator to check if their

knowledge is accurate before proceeding with this

module. Other sessions that may be useful are

those on relationships and the nature and meaning

of love.

Accurate knowledge of HIV is extremely important

because it mean the difference between life and

death. The background notes and information

sheets contain a lot of information that the

MODULE EIGHT: Preventing and

Living with HIV