Keep hope alive

Stay Alive in Tanzania

Tanzania, the largest country in East Africa and one of the poorest countries in the world, has a life expectancy of 45.6 years. AIDS is the leading cause of death among adults in Tanzania with an infection rate of 8.8 percent (2004 Tanzania HIV/AIDS Indicator Survey). According to the UNAIDS 2004 Report on the Global AIDS epidemic, there were an estimated 1.6 million people living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania and a million children had lost one or more parents to AIDS. In 2005, Tanzania lost approximately 9 percent of its labor force to HIV/AIDS.

UNAIDS indicates only 49 percent of men and 44 percent of women aged 15-24 are able to currently identify ways to prevent HIV/AIDS infection. Close to 85 percent of HIV/AIDS transmission in Tanzania occurs through heterosexual contact. Casual sex among young men with women is the cause for 81 percent. Additionally, an estimated 50 to 60 percent of hospital beds are occupied by patients with AIDS-related illnesses.

Stay Alive was introduced to Tanzania in 2005 by Reach the Children. During the implementation phase, Reach the Children teamed up with Good Faith Tanzania (GFT). Reach the Children has brought the program to 6,000 children, 24 teachers, 283 parents and 66 others, including local government officials. GFT has already pilot-tested Stay Alive to more than 800 children and trained 19 teacher-trainers and 10 parent/guardian volunteers in Tanzania .

During 2006, efforts were made to secure local government support to implement the Stay Alive program in the regions of: Dar es Salaam, Iringa, Mbeya, Mwanza and Coast and to raise funds. The newly-elected President Kikwete expressed great support for the importance of HIV prevention. New programs will be launched targeting youth and adult males, to address the endemic nature of multiple-partner behavior and transgenerational relationships in Tanzanian society. Abstinence programs will be expanded to reach the growing number of youth who are both in and out of school.

Good Faith Tanzania, in partnership with United Families International, has applied for PEPFAR funding to bring the Stay Alive program to 940,000 children in Tanzania. Of the 940,000 children that are expected to be reached with this project, it is estimated that between one-fifth and one-fourth are orphans. These children are especially vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. GFT has six years experience in the field of HIV/AIDS-prevention education. This organization has already reached more than 3,000 children in approximately 60 primary schools and more than 850,000 out-of-school youth and domestic and work station workers.

The Stay Alive program in Tanzania will be implemented directly through the primary school system. The Tanzanian government will become an integral partner in this project. Before classroom education begins, teacher trainings, meetings with community leaders and parent/guardian workshops will be held to develop community support for the program. For many parents/guardians attending the workshops, the HIV/AIDS-related information is new to them. While it is not the primary focus of the Stay Alive program, we have learned that once parents are informed about the basics of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention, they will spread this information to their partners, neighbors, relatives and to other children in the community, as well as to their own younger and older children who may not be enrolled in the Stay Alive program.

The mission of the Stay Alive program is to empower the rising generation to stay alive by remaining free from HIV/AIDS by striking at the root cause of the disease. The program's underlying premise is that children can learn to make safe choices regarding their sexual behaviors.

“I WILL LIVE A LONG LOVING LIFE”