The Reviewed and
Revised Compendium of Christian Projects
Addressing the Diseases
of Poverty: HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and TB
Fellowship of Christian Students Aid
for
AIDS and Design for the Family
Project/Program
name:
Fellowship of Christian Students Aid for AIDS and Design for the Family
Country: Nigeria
Church or
denomination:
Interdenominational
Project
Summary: This
project was officially launched on May 30th 1997 as a response to
the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria with a special focus on “youth and family”.
The ultimate goal of the project is an AIDS – free generation. The project has
so far trained over 4,576 volunteers and church workers and has reached over
4,197,186 beneficiaries out of the 7,189,000 targeted to be reached within 6
years (April 1997 – March 2003). The main strategy of the project is “catching
a few to reach many” using training of trainers workshops to get down to the
grassroots with integrated prevention education. Through monitoring and
evaluation the process is being closely checked at all levels. Partnership with
3 other organizations, including Tearfund UK, UNICEF Zone D Bauchi, and Family
Worship Centre – Abuja, and intensive networking with related organizations has
greatly helped our work over the years.
Background/
History: In
1954, the first Student Christian Leadership Course (CLC) was held in Zaria,
Kaduna State, Nigeria. In 1956, a second CLC was held at Gindiri, Plateau
State, Nigeria. During the 1957 course, at the request of several students, the
Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS), an affiliate of Scripture Union (SU)
Africa Region was formed and has since been working among youth. The target group of the group is the former
Northern Region of Nigeria now comprising of 19 states and the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja with over 4,000 school groups. Fellowship of Christian Students has been registered with the
Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs at the Corporate Affairs Commission since
May 5, 1976.
The FCS National Council formally approved the adoption of The Aid for AIDS and Design for the Family
Project in 1996. On May 30, 1997
the project was formally inaugurated as our active response to the HIV/AIDS
epidemic because the disease affects many of the youth with whom we work.
Nigeria ranks second in Africa and fourth in the world among the most affected
nations with respect to the total number of HIV infected people. In Nigeria,
AIDS was first recognised in 1986 and the National Surveillance Survey of 2001
showed that 5.8% of Nigerian adults are living with HIV/AIDS.
The 5-year FCS Aid for
AIDS and Design for the Family Project has had a large impact on the African
community such that government, non-governmental organizations and other
faith-based organizations within and outside Nigeria now come to FCS for
training and learning visits.
Goals: The project addresses all
age groups, particularly targeting the age range 5-19, referred to as the
“Window of Hope” for an AIDS-free generation. It harbours no religious or
ethnic biases and is holistic in approach. It looks beyond today, viewing far
into our future and that of our children, culminating in an AIDS- and Drug-free
Generation.
1) To increase
HIV/AIDS awareness outreaches in schools, churches and other communities
leading to reduction in new HIV infection in Nigeria.
2) To building
the capacities of CBOs, CSOs, GOs and FCS workers for effective awareness
raising and programme implementation in the communities.
3) To building
the capacity of the clergy and health workers, to carry out effective counselling
for their members and patients respectively.
4)
To raise peer educators among youth and other communities for effective
advocacy leading to lasting positive behaviour change.
5)
To develop and distribute relevant materials for effective education
and long lasting impact resulting in reduction of new HIV infection in Nigeria.
Who does the
work? The project has a
comprehensive implementation structure comprised of an eleven-man National
Project Committee, 20 State Coordinators, over 40 Field Staff, 120 Zonal
Coordinators and over 400 voluntary field workers.
Main
activities: The main activities include
training of trainers workshops for FCS volunteers, student leaders, church
workers, opinion leaders, Christian and Islamic Religious Studies teachers;
awareness campaign outreaches in primary, post-primary and tertiary
institutions; residential communities, churches, and offices; materials
development and distribution, counselling services, especially post-programmes;
consulting services; advocacy; library services; life skills development among
youth in and out-of-school and church; exhibition and paper presentations at
national and international conferences, monitoring and evaluation through field
visits, evaluation workshops, reports, newsletters and correspondences.
Expected Outcomes:
1)
Reduction in new HIV infection
2)
Effective community outreach and programme implementation
3)
Effective HIV/AIDS Counselling for clients
4) Lasting positive
behaviour change
5)
Effective national response in school
Results:
From May 1997 to December 2001, 4,576
persons, including church leaders, NGOs, members of governmental bodies,
pastors, FCS volunteers and student leaders have been trained and 4,197,186
people had been reached through awareness campaign in 1,509 schools and 683
churches.
International
relations
·
Our project facilitated
various sessions of Project Management during the Vision 2010 Conference of Aid
for AIDS organized in Harare – Zimbabwe for over 23 African countries in May
2001. In November 2001, we also
facilitated a “training of trainers” workshop for volunteers in Sierra
Leone.
·
Coordinators
of various organizations working on HIV/AIDS and related issues have come from
Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, United States of America, United
Kingdom and Northern Ireland on study visits to our project.
·
Our
project has been consistently represented at national and international
conferences and workshops, mounting exhibition booths, paper presentations, and
other activities.
Materials
utilised:
The Aid for AIDS project has so far developed and published about 24 different
types of outreach materials and has distributed at least 64,150 copies of the
various materials. The following is a
list of titles and materials that have been distributed through the project:
§
Choose Freedom
§
Adventure Unlimited
§
Towards an AIDS-Free
Generation
§
Blood Test before Marriage
§
Joseph
§
Mary
§
What is Drug Abuse?
§
10 Great Reasons to say No
to Sex before Marriage
§
AIDS and You tract
§
HIV/AIDS – Global Epidemic
Paper (by Jean G.)
§
HIV/AIDS and STDs Paper (by
Paul B. D. M.)
§
Teenagers Paper
§
Peer Education Paper
§
Drug Abuse Causes and
Consequences
§
Reports, Records &
Documentation
§
Evaluation Key Issues
§
Seminar Paper on Planning
§
SWOT – The Christian
Perspective
§
Programme Monitoring and
Evaluation
§
Towards an AIDS Free
Generation (Hausa Edition)
§
Badges (I am part of an AIDS
Free Generation)
§
Stickers (No Sex before
marriage, No sex outside marriage)
§
Adventure Unlimited
Videocassette
§
Understanding
Yourself as a Teenager or Adolescent
Lessons
learned:
o
When
people are adequately informed they are also equipped to take responsibilities
for their actions.
o
When
learning is effective it produces change in attitude, values and beliefs. That
means that behaviour change is possible.
o
Most
donors and project supporters whether local or international, identify with
success and are supportive of initiatives that have good prospects for positive
outcomes.
o
Commitment
of committee and project managers, who are ready to lay down their lives for
the project means a lot, in helping projects to forge ahead.
o
Existing
structures can either be stepping stones for success or stumbling blocks for
projects depending on how they are managed.
o
Political
will and Christian commitment are key motivating factors for Aid for AIDS and
Design for the Family Project implementation.
o
The
active involvement of policy makers and other key stakeholders and
beneficiaries gives credibility at all levels.
o
Opposition
in any form should be used as an opportunity to pray and seek for more
alternative strategies for implementation at all levels.
o
Networking
plays a vital role in effective project and program implementation.
Funding and
other resources: 1) Tearfund UK, 2)
UNICEF-Zone D, Bauchi, Nigeria, and 3) Churches and individuals (within and
outside Nigeria). As at 2001 the sum of
about N15,000,000 was utilised in the
project, we are yet to audit 2001
financial year.
Further
reading and other documents: See materials listed above.
Contact
information:
Sam O. Udanyi, National Director
Fellowship of Christian Students (FCS),
National Secretariat,
Yakubu Gowon Way,
Opposite Building Materials Market,
Plateau State – Nigeria.
930001
Telephone: + 234-73-454314,
234-73-464343 (Office) +002348037000103 (Residence)
E-mail: fcshqnig@aol.com (Office)
SRUdanyi@aol.com (Residence)