When I describe the READY program to colleagues, they are often surprised that we chose churches as our site for the intervention, especially when they learn that READY promotes condom use. "Will they let you talk about that?!" Yes.
We chose churches for several reasons: (1) Our formative surveys showed that most adolescents attend church regularly, (2) Churches are the most organized social structures we identified in Muhuru that include women and youth (e.g., community meetings held by Chiefs and other social gatherings are often attended by men only), and (3) Pastors and other church leaders are widely respected as role models and sources of social support in the community.
When we piloted the program in February, churches showed willingness and openness to HIV prevention education in their churches. We allowed the church leaders to decide whether or not we could include information about condom use. To facilitate conversations about this and other issues where religious beliefs could conflict with the content of READY, READY includes church leader discussion groups each week before the session. These discussions relate to the topics planned for the week, and leaders are encouraged to debate and think through the issues and to decide what can be presented to their church. These discussion groups are led by a pastor from the community who is also a trained READY facilitator.
Many leaders were reluctant to talk about condoms at first, but all came to the conclusion that they wanted to face the reality that many youths are not remaining abstinent - and that condoms were a good option in order to save their lives. After pastors decided to allow teaching about condoms, we also asked them to be the ones to introduce the topics to their churches. We are hopeful that church leaders will reach the same conclusions in the full intervention trial we are starting now.
We completed recruitment in the 4 randomly selected churches this week. All of the churches welcomed us, and we spent a lot of time singing and dancing with them in addition to registering families into the program. Spending time with these congregations made me excited about starting the intervention in a couple weeks! Here are a few pictures from our visit to a church this weekend.
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| Giving the Luo translation of what READY means |
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| Scheduling survey times |
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| Zilpa and Jessica scheduling |
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| Beautiful view on our walk back to the car |
As I read about your spending a lot of time singing and dancing with the church members I think of the nearly life-long preparation you have had for this particular project and also about Greg Mortensen and his picking up on the "three cups of tea". Then, I think of our sometimes less-than-aware sensitivity to local or neighborhood culture, which we think should be on different neighborhood to neighborhood in our melting pot nation.
ReplyDeleteI believe so strongly in the dialogue you are opening and within one of the most safe spaces for youth in the community. Your sensitivity to culture and most importantly patience and willingness to work within rather than outside community is at the heart of your intervention. Many Pastors preach that miracles happen in the church. I now know why.
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