Namibia

Strengthening Capacity in SBCC Programming

C-Change’s efforts in Namibia focus on strengthening the social and behavior change communication (SBCC) capacity of national and implementing partners in HIV prevention. This includes strengthening their skills in development of SBCC strategies that use mass media and interpersonal communication, moving beyond increasing knowledge and numbers of persons reached, and placing the emphasis on developing quality programs that are aimed at changing the behaviors that drive the HIV epidemic. C-Change works to strengthen capacities in program strategy and design, program implementation and SBCC-related monitoring and evaluation surrounding specific behaviors -- abstinence and/or being faithful; the use of condoms; HIV testing; sexual risk behaviors (multiple concurrent partnerships, cross-generational sex, transactional sex, and alcohol use and abuse); and male circumcision.

MCP Picture Codes in Namibia – A powerful HIV prevention tool

C-Change Namibia has developed the MCP picture code flip chart working closely with Namibia’s Ministry of Health National Multiple Concurrent Partners (MCP) Technical Working Group (TWG) and the National Prevention Technical Advisory Group on HIV.

Branded with the Government of Namibia’s logo, these MCP picture codes provide a powerful tool in the multi-level, multi-channel “Break the Chain” MCP campaign and meet the urgent requests from civil society, private and public sector organizations in Namibia for effective tools to address prevention of HIV.

Field workers and volunteer are using these interpersonal communication (IPC) materials to create conversations for behavior change that focus on the drivers of the HIV epidemic. Behaviors that the picture codes address include sexual risk behaviors, in particular multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships, transactional sex and cross-generational sex as well as positive and negative couples’ communication.

Here’s how the tools are being used

The picture code flip chart consists of a series of pages with a photo on the front and text on the back. A facilitator shows the photo to small groups or individuals and uses the text on the back to ask open-ended questions and generate discussion. For instance, each photo could begin with the following question: “What do you see in this photo?” At the end of each series of questions are a set of  “Talking Points” which the facilitator can use to sum up the main points of each discussion.

Partners have found these materials to be useful in community, workplace and clinical settings with both urban and rural target audiences. Contents of the flip chart can form part of a comprehensive HIV prevention behavior change curriculum or be used as stand-alone material.

Members of the Namibian National MCP TWG include the UN, key Namibian and international NGOs, GTZ, and others.

SBCC Tools Developed

C-Change has developed, tested, and applied an SBCC Capacity Assessment Tool in a participatory process with civil society and private sector PEPFAR partners that implement HIV prevention programs. C-Change has also developed an SBCC Strategy Template, a set of Behavioral Questionnaires and Data Entry tools. It has provided training and individual technical assistance to partners to develop SBCC strategies to improve the quality, strategic focus, and M&E of their prevention programs in communities and workplaces. The program assists partners with the collection of behavioral baseline data, developing behavior change communication/information, education, communication (BCC/IEC) tools, and Training of Trainers (TOT) related to the drivers of the epidemic. 

At the national level, C-Change is an active member of technical working groups on HIV prevention, assisting the development of the National Prevention Strategy and driver-specific SBCC strategies. C-Change also supports strengthening behavior change approaches within the mainstreaming of HIV and AIDS programs carried out by government ministries.