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The development of a training model for peer learning facilitators in adolescent reproductive health in Zambia

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Zambia is reported to have high levels of maternal morbidity and mortality due to low
contraceptive prevalence rates, over 50% of births not being attended to by skilled
persons, and teenage pregnancies. A number of organisations (stakeholders) have
invested in the training of adolescent reproductive health peer educators with the aim of
empowering them to be role models to their peers in reproductive health, but Zambia
does not have a generic and locally developed training programme for peer educators.
The purpose of this study was to develop a training programme that would produce
competent and more effective peer educators for Zambia. The objectives were to
determine the characteristics of the ideal peer educator. Further objectives were to
ascertain the factors that contribute to or impair the development of the ideal peer
educator, and to determine whether training programmes that were being used were
producing ideal peer educators and enhancing healthy lifestyle behaviours.
Key stakeholders participated in group interviews were they presented and critiqued their
training programmes. Emerging out of this process was a draft training programme,
developed by the stakeholders.
Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were held with adolescent peer educators from Lusaka,
Kafue, Livingstone and Maheba refugee camp. Data were analysed by triangulating the
outcomes of the group interviews (with the stakeholders) with the outcomes of the FGDs
and reviewed literature. The FGDs highlighted the characteristics of an ideal peer educator as well as factors that
contribute towards his/her competence development. Numerous factors were reported
that had a negative impact on the development of an ideal peer educator.
The peer educators reported that their training had had a positive effect on their lifestyle
behaviours. While they had gained more knowledge on HIV and AIDS, they
recommended more training on other health issues. The study found that at community
level, peer educators were not being given adequate respect because the concept of
voluntary work was not readily accepted and they were regarded as failures in life. Major
demotivating factors were the lack of payment of incentives and the fact that peer
educators were not certified. Peer educators did not receive sufficient support from
programme managers/coordinators to enable them to become more effective at
community level. Weaknesses in the way the training programmes were conducted were
also discerned.
Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that more life skills’ development
be promoted for peer educators. Training should be contextualised for the communities
in which the peer educators work. The developed training programme, which should be
used as a guide, should be repackaged to suit the profiles (e.g. values) of the different
communities. Adolescents and various social sectors (inclusive of indicated
stakeholders) ought to be involved in diagnosing community needs so as to influence
both peers and communities in a way that would promote adolescent reproductive health.
This study also recommends a more informal way of practising peer education, which would produce trainees who would be peer educators and role models in any given
setting. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Na berig word is die hoë siekte- en sterftesyfers onder moeders in Zambië daaraan te
wyte dat voorbehoedmiddels nie algemeen gebruik word nie, dat meer as 50% van
geboortes plaasvind sonder die bystand van bekwame persone, en dat daar ‘n hoë
voorkoms van tienerswangerskappe is. ‘n Aantal organisasies (belanghebbers) het in die
opleiding van adolessent- portuurgroep-opvoeders in reproduktiewe gesondheid belê ten
einde hierdie portuurgroep-opvoeders te bemagtig om as rolmodelle in reproduktiewe
gesondheid op te tree. Zambië het egter nie ‘n eie generiese, plaaslik-ontwikkelde
opleidingsprogram vir portuurgroep-opvoeders nie.
Die doel van hierdie studie was om ‘n opleidingsmodel en opleidingsprogram te
ontwikkel wat bekwame en meer effektiewe portuurgroep-opvoeders vir Zambië sou kon
oplewer. Die doelstellings was om die kenmerke van ‘n ideale portuurgroep-opvoeder te
bepaal en om die faktore te identifiseer wat óf tot die ontwikkeling van ‘n ideale
portuurgroep-opvoeder bydra óf sy/haar ontwikkeling strem. Daar moes ook vasgestel
word of bestaande opleidingsprogramme ideale portuurgroep-opvoeders oplewer en
gevolglik gesonde leefstylgedrag bevorder.
Die navorser het groeponderhoude gebruik en betekenisvolle belanghebbers genooi om
hulle opleidingsprogramme aan te bied, te beoordeel en krities te bespreek. ‘n Konsepopleidingsprogram
wat deur die belanghebbers ontwikkel is, het uit hierdie proses
ontstaan. Fokusgroepbesprekings (Engels: Focus Group Discussions of FGDs) is met adolessente
portuurgroep-opvoeders van Lusaka, Kafue, Livingstone en die Maheba-vlugtelingekamp
gehou. Data is ontleed deur die uitkomste van die groeponderhoude (met die
deelhebbers) met die uitkomste van die fokusgroepbesprekings en die bespreekte
literatuur te trianguleer.
Die fokusgroepbesprekings het die soeklig op die kenmerke van die ideale portuurgroepopvoeder
asook op die faktore wat tot sy/haar bekwaamheidsontwikkeling bydra, laat
val. Talle faktore wat ‘n negatiewe uitwerking op die ontwikkeling van ‘n ideale
portuurgroep-opvoeder het, is ook vasgestel.
Die portuurgroep-opvoeders het bevestig dat hul opleiding ‘n positiewe invloed op hul
lewenstylgedrag gehad het. Terwyl hulle genoem het dat hulle meer kennis oor MIV en
VIGS opgedoen het, het hulle aanbeveel dat daar ook meer klem op ander
gesondheidskwessies behoort te wees. In hierdie studie is daar bevind dat portuurgroepopvoeders
op gemeenskapsvlak nie met voldoende respek behandel word nie. Die begrip
van vrywillige werk word nie geredelik aanvaar nie, en die opvoeders word as
mislukkings beskou. Faktore wat besonder ontmoedigend inwerk is die gebrek aan ‘n
aansporingsloon en die feit dat portuurgroep-opvoeders nie sertifikate ontvang nie.
Portuurgroep-opvoeders het ook nie voldoende ondersteuning van programbestuurders/-
koördineerders ontvang om hulle in staat te stel om meer effektief op gemeenskapsvlak
op te tree nie. Daar is voorts swakhede opgemerk in die wyse waarop die
opleidingsprogramme uitgevoer is. Gegrond op die bevindinge van hierdie studie, word daar aanbeveel dat die ontwikkeling
van lewensvaardighede tot ‘n groter mate bevorder word. Opleiding behoort
gekontekstualiseer te word vir die gemeenskappe waarbinne die opvoeders werk. Die
bestaande opleidingsprogram, wat as ‘n riglyn gebruik behoort te word, behoort
herstruktureer te word om by die profiele (bv. die waardes) van die verskillende
gemeenskappe in te pas. Adolessente en verskillende sosiale sektore (insluitend die
aangeduide belanghebbers) behoort betrokke te wees by die bepaling van die gemeenskap
se behoeftes ten einde beide portuurgroepe en gemeenskappe so te beïnvloed dat
adolessente- reproduktiewe gesondheid bevoordeel sal word. Hierdie studie beveel ook
aan dat portuurgroep-opvoeding op ‘n informeler grondslag beoefen behoort te word
sodat die kwekelinge uiteindelik in enige gegewe omgewing suksesvolle portuurgroepopvoeders
en rolmodelle sal kan wees.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/17326
Date04 1900
CreatorsMunalula-Nkandu, Esther
ContributorsKapp, C.A., Hugo, J., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
PublisherStellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Formatxxi, 288, [40] leaves : ill.
RightsUniversity of Stellenbosch

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