Community Mobilization: Anti-AIDS Alliance

• Project Overview
• Objectives and Strategies
• Activities and Highlights
• Materials and Resources

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Sérés are social associations of people of the same age group that meet regularly to respond to members' needs and undertake community activities. They are particularly prevalent among women and girls. The strong sense of identification that members have with their sérés, expressed in the uniforms they design for themselves, make these associations potentially a powerful force for behavior change. They generally meet twice a month, with a formal agenda. Members help each other out financially through illness and the expenses of marriage and baptism.

On special occasions, different sérés work together to organize a mamaya. The mamaya is a festival of traditional Malinke song and dance that celebrates any joyous community event or religious holiday. A mamaya is an occasion for all the local sérés to put on their uniforms and turn out to sing and dance as a group.

The formation of the Siguiri Anti-AIDS Alliance is a good example of the potential of the sérés to organize people in service to their community or hometown. With a population of over 150,000, Siguiri is among the most populated prefectures in the region of Haute Guinea. It is a gold mining region with multitude of international and local companies. Houses of prostitution abound, offering their clients a choice of sex with or without a condom. "Direct contact," as it is called, costs the equivalent of US $2.50, while "indirect contact," sexual contact with a condom, costs only $1. Siguiri is known to have the highest number of séré in Guinea, with over 70 registered.

Partners in the Siguiri Anti-AIDS Alliance included the Committee of Reflection for the Development of Siguiri, based in Conakry, the Siguiri Anti-AIDS Prefectoral Alliance, and PSI.

OBJECTIVES/STRATEGIES

The purpose of the Anti-AIDS Alliance was to bring together residents and former residents of Siguiri, Guinea to assess the community's need for information on HIV and AIDS and determine a course of action. Specifically, the Alliance aimed to:

• Raise awareness of HIV, including its prevalence in the district, modes of transmission, and how to prevent transmission.
• Increase the practice of preventive behaviors.

ACTIVITIES AND HIGHLIGHTS

• In January 2001, the CCP Resident Advisor in Guinea met with the Committee of Reflection to share with its members available data on the prevalence of HIV in their home city in the hope that they might be stimulated to action. Three weeks later, the Committee decided to dedicate year 2001 to combating HIV.
• Sabati, a séré of 30 to 40 year olds, was given the responsibility to work with PRISM/JHU during the Tabaski holidays to raise Siguiri people's awareness of HIV and increase the practice of preventive behaviors. During the three days of this Muslim holiday, all sérés, traditional and appointed leaders, and local NGO representatives attended conferences and talks about HIV. Videos and live theater performances were presented.
• Residents of Siguiri, as well as Siguiri natives living in Conakry, decided to create the Siguiri Anti-AIDS Prefectoral Alliance, appointing the Prefect to be its President. This coalition is composed of members selected from all community structures, financial partners, syndicates, and NGOs.
• All séré leaders requested and received from PRISM/JHU an orientation on STD/HIV and preventive behaviors. The orientation consisted of a one-day session during which videos on STIs including HIV were shown and discussed in Malinke. The videos were followed by sessions on preventing STD/HIV and unwanted pregnancy, and negotiating abstinence and condom use. All participants committed to share what they had learned with members.
• A campaign aimed specifically at miners in the regions of Mandiana, Siguiri, Kerouané and Kouroussa trained five miners at each site as peer educators.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

PRISM Community Mobilization Handbook. The step-by-step process of organizing a mamaya to mobilize the community is described in detail in the PRISM community mobilization handbook published in April 2004.