Eliud Njoroge Kibe
NAME: Eliud Njoroge Kibe
CONSTITUENCY: Maai-Mahiu Div. Naivasha District, Nakuru County
DATE: 15th November, 2013
The condition I was in before the intervention.
As concerning HIV/AIDS message, I had very little knowledge on mode of transmission, prevention and how one could change his/her behavior on sexual relationship with other partner(s).
NCCK provided and facilitated resources by helping our group hold monthly group meetings and youth outreaches whereby youths could come together, share their experiences on sexuality and behavior change communication. At time, we would invite people well informed with knowledge and skills to assist us with technical questions on the same. It is from this forums that I got vast knowledge on HIV/AIDS messages contrary to the myths and culture that had been for a long time surrounded me regarding HIV/AIDS particularly on condom use. I believed initially that condom was laced with a substance that caused men impotence but after going through the outreaches and sharing with other youths and by being informed by our various facilitators in these outreaches I came to learn this was a myth that I had learnt from my peers. Also, our culture did not allow us to talk openly on issues regarding sexuality particularly when both males and females were in the same room. At first, I found this kind of arrangement very strange but upon more outreaches we hold, I realized it being very fruitful towards war on HIV/AIDS.
My life changed drastically, I took very serious measures in protecting my partner and myself whenever need be, but more important I benefited a lot from behavior change communication and opted not to engage in unprotected sex and do away with multiple sex partners but in particular, more important to remain faithful to one partner.
Before I learnt about behavior change communication, I was not able to have self control and positive attitude towards my opposite sex partner but upon acquiring knowledge and skills on HIV/AIDS messages, I am now able to have self control, be positive towards opposite sex partners and more important take precaution measures in war against HIV/AIDS interventions.
I have been able to form a recovery group for the youths whereby we meet monthly. Among the issues we takle are drug abuse and sexual abuse in connection to HIV/AIDS. So far, more than sixty youths have benefited from this program and I am hopeful that we shall reach out to more youths in my location.
We are planning to have a very strong network for the youths and come up with resourceful measures that will see the youths utilizing their free time like sporting, reading and engaging in income generating activities we also try to reach out to local civic leaders to help with the assistance from constituency development fund, put up vocational training centres for the youths.
NCCK has done a very commendable job, particularly the staff were very much encouraging, participated and listened to the problems of the youths. NCCK also kept to its pledge of partnering with youth groups to facilitate the youth activities. It also displayed Christian values in all its undertaking.
