Project

“Make Love, Not AIDS”

Kosovo Project Name: “Scaling up HIV prevention in Kosovo”
Supported by: Global Fund

Project "Make Love, Not AIDS" is a project which is being implemented by Non-Governmental Organization INTEGRA based in Prishtina. This project aims to develop a series of activities which as primary objective has the purpose of youth awareness, specifically on young people with higher risks of infection with HIV as well as information regarding the dangerousness that bring up this virus.
   
Project "Make Love, Not AIDS" is part of the overall Kosovo Project “Scaling up HIV prevention in Kosovo” supported by Global Fund, a project which is being developed in cooperation with the Kosovo Coordinating Mechanism members, governmental and non-governmental institutions which have preventive character in front of HIV AIDS.

In the low context of popularity of epidemic virus HIV, strategy for HIV/AIDS preventive of Kosovo focuses on preventive among the key population with the higher risk with HIV, who are involved in high-risk behavior, such as unprotected sex with many partners and practices of drug injection in uncertainty (unsafe) ways.

While the youth as a whole are at higher risk population, INTEGRA gives special attention to youth - especially in groups of high risks from HIV - as this group passes many major physical, psychological, social and sexual changes, which can reward them with a variety of vulnerability to threats.

Many late studies among youth confirm their vulnerability from HIV, with the weakening of the age of sexual debut; low condom use; non-adequate knowledge in HIV / STI and lack of reproductive health care services for young people. Vulnerability of young people in Kosovo has been further sharpened by the high level of unemployment and different levels of poverty, as a consequence of the lack of economic development and as a result of extending of territorial status of Kosovo. The high level of unemployment is blazing Kosovo residents raising dangerousness by the HIV.

In this context, prevention of HIV among the youth has been identified as priority area in the strategy of INTEGRA. Priority specific strategies identified on INTEGRA’s strategy include:

  • Raising awareness; behavioral change communication and condom promotion;
  • Increase the involvement and strengthening of youth;
  • Research to increase the intelligibility of specific vulnerabilities among youth;
  • Increase access of youth in key services for HIV prevention;


Component of the youth in our activities seeks to strengthen young people to effectively deal with dangerousness from HIV and other relevant gender issues, sexual and reproductive health and use of drugs.

Special attention will be devoted / dedicated to identification of youth subgroups and service that may be particularly vulnerable, as the abandonment of schools unemployment in youth, young girls and women; young people experimenting with drugs; etc. The project will support operational research in this area by identifying and understanding better the dynamics that transform specific subgroup of young people particularly vulnerable to HIV infection.

Project "Make Love, Not AIDS", among others, provides a range of activities relating to educational institutions which will further range as:

  • Info Tends – 10 Kosovo municipalities will be covered by distribution of IEC materials and condoms, in specific locations (City Centers).
  • Open Discussions – 20 Kosovo high schools of different municipalities will be covered by Peer to Peer lectures relating to HIV/AIDS and IST diseases
  • Mini Grants – 5 Mini Grants will be awarded to young people groups and young organizations to implement their projects relating HIV/AIDS and STI prevention on their municipalities
  • 1st December Main Event – The World Day against HIV/AIDS
  • Publication of IEC Materials and Production of TV and Radio Clips


Each of these activities has its specific sub activities which will particularly aim young groups on better understanding and getting information on vulnerabilities which came up from HIV/AIDS and STI diseases.