Challenge
In Botswana, turning the corner against HIV and AIDS requires public health programs that are positive and focused on prevention. To this end, EDC supported Botswana’s Ministry of Health through the Living Life Skills Project, a five-year program to build teacher capacity to implement effective, comprehensive life skills programs.
As part of the project, EDC also developed Living, Skills for Life: Botswana’s Window of Hope. The curriculum teaches young people about respecting others, taking personal responsibility for their actions, and making healthy decisions, with the goal of educating them on how to prevent the transmission of HIV, AIDS, and sexually transmitted infections.
Key Activities
Created with input from local teachers and health workers, the Living Life Skills materials are interactive, gender-balanced, culturally sensitive, and differentiated for a wide range of learners. The project achieved the following:
- Developed Living, Skills for Life: Botswana’s Window of Hope materials
- Coordinated nationwide implementation of the curriculum
- Developed a national training plan and trained master trainers
- Created an evaluation plan to guide continuous programmatic improvement
Impact
- Trained a total of 2,880 teachers in life skills education
- Equipped 129,600 primary school learners with life skills to help them prevent HIV infection