Researching gender: explorations into sexuality and HIV/AIDS in African contexts

The author demonstrates that collaborating with children using a gender-sensitive life-cycle approach yields social and health dividends. The paper focuses upon young people and children engaged in HIV/AIDS education, not only as consumers of information but also as generators of knowledge pertinent to their needs, aspirations, anxieties, fears, hopes and dreams. This subject-centred approach to education is facilitated by innovative methodologies that allow young people to talk frankly with adults and amongst themselves, to participate in community theatre designed to help different types of people address issues of common interest, and to work with experienced adult researchers in generating relevant data

Religious Pluralism, Conflict and HIV/Aids Education in Refugee-Affected Regions of North-Western Kenya

This paper examines how multi-religious factors influence the teaching and learning of HIV/AIDS education in refugee schools based on a qualitative study conducted in refugee-affected communities in North-Western Kenya. The study involved a total of 3 primary schools from Kakuma Refugee Camp (KRC) and 3 from the host community. A sample of 617 respondents of diverse nationalities, including 356 male and 160 female pupils, was used. The study utilized semi-structured interviews, observation, FGDs, documentary analysis and drawings to generate data. The findings reveal that, first; traditional ethnic cultures interacted with religion to influence the nature and level of interaction between boys and girls during HIV/AIDS education lessons, thereby determining the process of learning. Whereas Somali Muslim pupils sat and worked in same gender clusters, Christian Sudanese and Turkana boys and girls interacted across genders more freely. Consequently, the cultural and religious tendencies denied Muslim Somali boys and girls an opportunity to work together as allies in addressing pertinent and effective strategies in HIV/AIDS education. Further, unlike the Christian Turkana and Ugandan girls who seemed open and outgoing in their participation in HIV/AIDS education activities, Somali and Ethiopian Muslim girls remained quiet, reserved and shy as a way of showing respect to male teachers and pupils. In this regard, Kenyan Christian teachers interpreted the behaviour of Somali and Ethiopian Muslim girls to mean disobedience and hence, tended to exclude the girls during classroom activities.  Because religion determined the teacher’s interpretation of the content,  pupils received different and sometimes conflicting messages on similar topics depending on the teacher’s religious background. It was therefore concluded that religious beliefs influenced the learning of HIV/AIDS education in refugee schools in a complex manner, which teachers need to understand clearly  for them to be able to enhance inclusive and responsive learning Keywords: Religious Pluralism, Conflict, HIV/AIDS Education, Refugee-Affected Regions, North-Western Keny

Kenya's HIV/AIDS Education Sector Policy : Implications for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and the Teaching of HIV/AIDS Education

This paper results from a study conducted in 2005-2006 on “the 2004 HIV/AIDS Education Sector Policy". It investigates the practical implications of the policy document in addressing provisions related to orphaned and vulnerable children and the teaching and learning of HIV/AIDS education. The paper further assesses practitioners' understanding of the policy. Data was collected from three districts in Kenya, Bondo, Nairobi and Garissa, which were selected to represent high, middle and low HIV prevalence, respectively. A total of 12 institutions were sampled. A cross cutting population of learners, teachers and teacher trainees, parents/guardians, and education offi cers were reached primarily via qualitative methods of interviews, group discussions and observations. The data was analysed using MAX qda, a computer package for analysing qualitative data. The study fi ndings show that the basic needs of vulnerable children remain unmet, curtailing their full participation in the schooling process. This notwithstanding, most children had detailed factual knowledge of HIV and AIDS even though it was not apparent how such knowledge was translated into skills of life. Although some head teachers were aware of the HIV/AIDS education sector policy, relatively few teachers were conversant with its contents. The study concludes that national educational targets would be diffi cult to attain unless capacity development for teachers and school administrators was improved in the area of HIV/AIDS education and policy. There is a need to locate the OVC at the centre of child well-being strategies that are sensitive and responsive to their special circumstances

Privatisation and private higher education in Kenya : implications for access, equity and knowledge production

This book addresses the implications of this development in Kenya, with regard to the responsiveness of private higher education to issues of broadening access, equity and the traditional research function of universities