BACKGROUND 

The Adolescent and young people multi-media campaign is used as an HIV prevention intervention strategy under the theme “Wise Up” targeting young people aged 10 – 29 years. The campaign that utilizes youth friendly channels of communication is intended to maximize reach with prevention messages to this target audience. It is centred around 4 thematic areas namely; consistent and proper condom use, alcohol and drug abuse, addressing HIV and AIDS myths and basic facts on HIV and AIDS as well as other related issues that affect young people. Wise UP partnered with other youth HIV prevention initiatives such as SHUGA, Young love that are implemented by stakeholders will help the country to realize the goal of no new infections by 2016 and beyond. It will be ensured that any other youth related intervention proposed by stakeholders will be implemented under the Wise Up Campaign. 

Wise-up Outreach Campaigns 

This model, where all stakeholders come together for campaigns created a one stop shop for services for the youth, resulting in easier linkage and efficiency in resources and these are mostly achieved through mall activations. 

WISE UP program was successful with its outreach in the following areas where in and out of school youth were reached. 

In-school 

• Letlhakane x 3 schools 

• Selibe phikwe x 2 schools 

•  Palapye x 2 schools 

•  Francistown x 1 school 

•  Maun x 3 schools 

Tertiary  

• Gaborone x 3 (Limkokwing, Botho College and Baisago) 

 Out school 

• Selibe Phikwe 

•  Maun (zoroga and Komana) 

•  Palapye 

•  Francistown 

•  Tutume 

•  Letlhakane  

In all the districts visited 723 youth were sensitized on youth platforms designed for the targeted audience and also were able to respond or participate in all discussed issues affecting them in their locality. Among the whole population 501 were in school youths and 222 were out of school youth. In these population 430 were females and 293 were males. 

Messages which were placed on Facebook WISE UP page and the response rate around it: 

• Teenage Pregnancy 

• Alcohol and Drug Abuse 

• PreP 

• Circumcision 

• Arranged Marriage (Maun) 

• Sex work 

• Introduction of the 17072-toll free line 

Circumcision– We posted about safe male circumcision to raise a discussion about the importance of circumcision among youth, and through the post 53 802 people were reached and 45 people were referred to the services 

PreP– During the outreaches we realized that most young girls did not know about PreP so we had a discussion around it on the Wise Up platform to educate them on what PreP is all about and 31 638 people took part in the discussion and 236 were referred to their nearest health facility. 

Through Wise Up we have also assisted in conducting training on entrepreneurship and economic empowerment for young females aged between 15-24 which was attended by CEDA, LEA, UNICEF, Agri business and Human 

Pregnancy, Abortion and arranged marriage messages– From our outreaches in Maun we found out that teenagers under the age of 14 and 15 especially amongst the Baherero culture are still practicing forced marriages 

Currently the WISE UP page is followed by 70 224 people 

In overall at the end of the year we had seen an increase in the linkages and in the type of services the youth were successfully linked to; with impressive improvement in uptake of clinical services, including HIV testing.  

Limitation 

• Most youth in the rural villages do not have access to internet and phone to visit the Facebook page 

• Because of Covid- 19, It was difficult to access the in and out of school youth 

​5. Conclusions / Recommendations 

• The program should have a system where we can trace clients who accessed services and were referred after vising the WISE UP page 

• Strengthen collaboration with other programs such as SHUGA, DREAMS, YOCA and Makgabaneng.