RTK - Nigeria Youth

In Nigeria, Right to Know has joined forces with prominent organizations such as the Nigerian Youth Services Corps to make access to HIV/AIDS knowledge and life skills a reality all over the country. UNICEF consultant Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale discusses some of the real-life issues, restrictions and rewards that come with HIV/AIDS work, while youth activist Moses Imayi, age 23, describes the ideals and goals that led him to work with Right to Know, advocate for youth inclusion, and participate in the process of HIV/AIDS policy and implementation.

Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale

How did you become involved in HIV/AIDS work?
Basically, it was out of curiosity. When I was in school studying the incidence of abortion in the country, what struck me was that 60%, 70% of the people seeking post-abortion care were young people. So I was interested in finding out why people in that age group were seeking abortion care. From reproductive issues, I became interested in HIV/AIDS. So now I'm trying to educate the kids I work with in school and work with reform in the country, especially the reproductive health component of adult health policy of Nigeria.

Are there barriers against talking about HIV/AIDS in Nigeria?
Ordinarily I would have said yes, but after our experience in the field, I think differently. It is generally perceived here that there are things about sexuality that young people should not know. So while young people want to know the correct information, the old people think they should not know. However, our group of corps members, who are all university graduates, are open-minded and willing to relate to people on any issue that has to do with those people. Part of their task as corps members being posted to communities not their own is to appreciate what people in that community want to hear and to work with it. We have extensive information on what people do and don't want to hear about—you can't talk about condoms in some places. The bottom line is that everyone will listen to information on prevention as long as it's put in a way they want to hear.

What successes have you seen from your youth work?
We have been able to impart to several thousand youth, the corpers that we work with, information that will see them through life. This is an accomplishment. The feeling they have is, "This training is not just about HIV or reproductive health; this training has made me a man."

On the community level, the corpers—who are all university graduates—have become role models, people the youngsters will look up to. You want to talk like them, wear clothes like them—that is the concept they're promoting.

What lessons have you learned through your work?
First, to involve the staff. We involve the staff of the NYSC in the learning process to give them a sense of ownership in the project, and that facilitates our entry into the corps training camps and the implementation of the training. The officials are aware of what we want to do and are totally aligned with our goals.

Second, to involve the young people in planning. When one is planning for a target group, involving that group is important. In our case, that means young people and people with HIV. Working together has helped both of them with learning. It also made us think about one or two things. For example, one of the things we learned from the young people is that the people you might want to hire to work with them may not necessarily be able to talk to the young people. You sometimes see people who have the appropriate training but are unable to communicate with young people. What matters is having the right attitude and the right perception of life.

What do you like or dislike about your work?
The thing I hate most about work is when you plan a meeting with a group of people and then are told that one is dead or one is sick because of HIV. It's terrible. I think it's worse now. By the time you complete the planning for a group, maybe 90% of the original people are dead. I think of it like a battleground: As you try to win people away, you lose some. I am hoping there will be a different outcome someday. ...It helps that we're working with people who understand. They are all determined, and that keeps all of us going.

Moses Imayi, age 23, youth reproductive health rights activist and peer health educator with a special focus on HIV/AIDS.

What he does with HIV/AIDS work and RTK:
I am the executive director of Youth Action Rangers of Nigeria, a youth-led, youth-focused NGO. Founded in 1996, it is dedicated to empowering young people through information sharing, training, advocacy and policy that will help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Among other things, my work with RTK involves mobilizing other young people for active participation in all RTK activities.

Why he decided to work with RTK:
I decided to volunteer for RTK because I see the RTK concept as an innovative one that seeks to bridge the gap between young people's access to information and an avenue to build the capacity of other young people through sharing personal information and best practices. Also, because UNICEF is involved in this project, I see it as a serious project with great potential for success and not just "child's play."

What results he's seen from his work:
Because HIV/AIDS is affecting more youths in Nigeria, the involvement of the National Youth Service Corps has helped expand the scope of reaching youths with information on HIV/AIDS. Its approach is quite unique because it uses a peer-to-peer approach.