TECL II
SCREAM module on HIV, AIDS and Child Labour
It is of particular concern that the HIV pandemic is becoming one of the most obstinate root causes of child labour. It exposes even more children to the hardships of child labour due to poverty, the burden of caring for family, the death of guardians, fewer teachers and discrimination.
Ultimately, success in efforts against HIV, AIDS and child labour requires a change in behaviour and attitudes.
There are no quick-fix solutions to this critical problem. Ultimately, success in efforts against HIV, AIDS and child labour requires a change in behaviour and attitudes. From the policy to the community level, we need to promote universal understanding of the virus, its transmission and its effects. We need to promote a change in attitudes towards women, masculinity and sex, and a better understanding of sexual violence, gender inequality and stigmatization as continuing causes of the spread of HIV. In addition, social protection for the millions of adults and children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS is needed to ensure that lives are not thrown away nor childhoods lost.
Young people are an integral part of the campaign to eliminate child labour and to put a stop to the spread of HIV. Not only do young people have a right to participate in the programmes and policies that affect them, they also bring enormous potential through their diverse energy, motivation, creativity and commitment to contribute to their communities as agents of social change.
A special SCREAM module
The SCREAM module on HIV, AIDS and Child Labour has been created with this in mind.
Through this SCREAM Module, young people will become aware of the dangers and vulnerabilities that they and their peers face and be informed about how best to respond to them.
Using creative, participatory teaching methods, SCREAM is an educator’s resource that aims to invest the time, attention, support and guidance in young people that they require to grow into socially conscious, responsible, motivated citizens. Through this SCREAM Module, young people will become aware of the dangers and vulnerabilities that they and their peers face and be informed about how best to respond to them. They will be empowered to do what they can in their lifetimes to make a real change in the way that the world responds to the tragedy of HIV and the child labour that comes about because of it.
This module has been developed by the IPEC project on HIV/AIDS and
child labour in Uganda, under the leadership of the Chief Technical
Advisor, Akky de Kort. She assembled an able team including the author
of the module, James Lambert, and a range of other experts throughout
the world.
For the sake of the world’s youth, we recommend this SCREAM module to all member States, education authorities, teachers and their organizations, employers’ and workers’ organizations, NGOs and community organizations, and to all those who interact with young people in an educational context. It is about investing in young people and empowering them to participate in the movement for positive social change.