Albania Peer Educators become agents of change on HIV and AIDS issues

“I’m one of those who really discriminated against HIV-positive people,” says Erid, one of the Peer Educators (PEs) from Lezha, Albania. “Before I was a Peer Educator I couldn’t even think to be near them, let alone being their friend.”

“The activities with Peer Educators make me aware that they are human beings like me,” adds Erid. “They need to be understood, supported and to have friends.”

When we started to share the information about HIV and AIDS in our school, the other students misunderstood this information and started to tease us... Today PEs like Erid are among one of the strongest advocacy youth groups in rural Albania, who speak out about HIV and AIDS-related issues.

As part of the HIV Prevention and Advocacy Project, World Vision founded Peer Educators in rural villages of Vlora, Librazhd, Shkodra, Kurbin and Lezha.

Adelina Dema, Erid Bardhaj and Bledar Prendi are just some of the PEs of Zejmen village in Lezha Area Development Programme (ADP), located a two-hour drive the capital city Tirana.

Lezha is a very good example of the progress being seen in some Albanian towns with its new buildings and streets, cafes filled with young people and new small businesses funded by the remittances of thousands of emigrants who live outside Albania. However, issues like HIV and AIDS, and drug and alcohol abuse among the younger generation continue to present great challenges for this area and all over Albania.

Both Erid and Bledi (the short pronunciation for Bledar), are 17 years old and have just finished high school. They are from the first group of youth who became PEs three years ago. Now Adelina is the leader of PEs in Lezha ADP.

“The beginning was very difficult for me, I felt unsure of myself, I couldn’t express my thoughts and my ideas freely,” says Adelina. “I can’t forget the first meeting with other PEs, where all of them who joined the PE group before me were talking so freely and I thought ‘if only one day I could express myself like them’”..

The most successful thing that we have achieved up to now is that we have shared all the information we have received with other peers not only in the school, but even in the village Being a part of a Peer Educator group hasn’t always been easy because PEs have faced the very strong mentality in their families, schools and the communities, that saw HIV and AIDS as “a taboo and shameful” issue.

“When we started to share the information about HIV and AIDS in our school, the other students misunderstood this information and started to tease us and especially the girls who were in the group,” says Adelina.

At the same time their families saw this information as an unhelpful and irrelevant tool to prepare them for life. Some believed both the information and timing were wrong and would contribute negatively to their behaviour.

“Very often my parents told me that this information, training or other HIV and AIDS-related activities are not needed and the school is more than enough for me,” shares Adelina.

But from humble if not extremely challenging beginnings; misunderstood by their peers, parents, teachers and community, today the PEs are not just an empowered youth group, but are also the main actors who are speaking out and taking initiatives on the issues that affect youth.

They are now the primary ‘agents of change’ in their school, family and community. Now every youth in their school wants to become one of them.

“The other students in the school always come and ask me ‘what can I do to be part of this group?’” says Erid proudly, sharing that in the past two years they have doubled the number of PEs in their school.

PEs have taken a lot of initiatives not only in close partnership with World Vision, but also by themselves. They have been one of the main organisers of the International Day against HIV and AIDS, AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day and other awareness raising activities in their schools and communities, as well as in the city of Lezha.

“The most successful thing that we have achieved up to now is that we have shared all the information we have received with other peers not only in the school, but even in the village,” says Bledi. “Even though the beginning was really difficult, step by step our peers started to be more open and interested in this information and the activities we carried out.”

“The way that World Vision works with children and youth, such as Peer Educator groups is really admirable and a very good example to follow,” says Donika Vuka from the Directory of Public Health in Lezha area, the northwest Albania capital city, Tirana.

“You can clearly see the difference between PEs and others. Even though they are from the villages they have so much information, they can express themselves freely and are active, even more than the youth in the city,” adds Mrs. Vuka.

The PEs have not just been a good role model for others, but even a great encouragement to their parents as they have seen their children growing and changing positively.

“Since I have been involved with the Peer Educators (PEs) group I have changed so much, so much that I can’t describe,” says 16-year -old Adelina. “I can freely express my ideas, be part of the new initiatives and be more active.”

“This last year my family has changed too,” she adds. “They trust in me as they never did before.”

The other students in the school always come and ask me ‘what can I do to be part of this group According to Erid and Bledi, the most difficult challenge is the continuation of these initiatives and the sharing of the information among other youth groups. Both of them say that there is a great need to create other PE groups, not only in high schools, but even among young age groups.

HIV and AIDS is considered a complex health and socio-economic problem. Most of the recorded cases have been registered outside Tirana where social inequality and poverty are more prevalent. In the rural areas, access to prevention services, control and treatment is also very limited. HIV and AIDS is not only an effect but also a consequence of the social inequalities in developing countries like Albania.

Official data show that until October 2009 in Albania there are 350 confirmed HIV and AIDS cases, among whom 15 are children. Even though Albania continues to be a low-prevalence country, the data is significant when compared to the population of Albania. On the other hand, the danger of the numbers quickly escalating is also very real, as many emigrants who might have encountered the virus abroad return to Albania with the potential of infecting others.

Besides their desires and hard work to continue in University and get a good profession, which will help in life and give them joy, these youth dream that they will contribute even more to the mentality change of this generation. They aim to make them aware of the real threats such as HIV and AIDS and drug and alcohol abuse and to help them avoid getting caught up in risky behaviour.

“Both groups of PEs in Zejmen and Balldre Village, part of Lezha ADP, are planning to continue the work that they have started by applying for a grant”, says Malvina Martini, Health Coordinator in Lezha ADP. “They will design the project, will submit the application for that and then organise the activities in the field.”

“We know that the work has just started, because it takes time to change the mentality, so we really believe that we can continue this great initiative and hand it over to the other generations who will come,” concludes Erid.

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