HIV / AIDS: WHAT IS THE SECRET OF SUCCESS IN WORK WITH YOUTH
The UN Information Office in Uzbekistan not only provides coverage for important UN events, dates and projects, but it also works to recognize important individuals who have played an instrumental role in achieving the common objectives of sustainable development. The first such individual to be interviewed by the UN Information Office was Sayyora Kayumhodzhaeva, coordinator of a project on prevention of HIV/AIDs, drug abuse and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). She told us how interactive methods can be used to educate young people and to warn them against dangerous behaviour.
Sayyora Kayumhodzhaeva: I am a graduate from the medical college in the City of Tashkent, where I specialized in midwifery and the medical assistance field, and I worked for 14 years in these fields before becoming a housewife. At some point after leaving my career I was asked to teach at the culinary school of the ‘Kamolot’ Youth Movement in Chirchik cty. A year later I was appointed as the coordinator of the organization’s Centre for Youth Social Services, and after half a year I was invited to work at the organization’s branch in the Tashkent region. In 2011 I became a youth educator, and soon afterwards I began to work with my current project and began conducting training courses regarding HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and STI. I am now a project coordinator, and prepare new trainers who will work on a voluntary basis in this field.
Within the framework of our work we carry out mini sessions for high school and college students. The training sessions follow the scenarios, developed by ourselves. In order to ensure that students understand vital concepts and don’t become bored, our courses include various games and activities. We also tell relevant parables and stories to our students, from which they can draw their own conclusions.
