Empowerment of High Risk Youth in Pakistan

Rafi-Ush-Shan Ahmad

Muhammad Wasim

Introduction:

As poverty continues to grip Pakistan, the number of urban street children grows and has now reached alarming proportions, demanding far greater action than presently offered. Urbanization, natural catastrophe, drought, disease, war and internal conflict, economic breakdown causing unemployment, and homelessness have forced families and children in search of a “better life,” often putting children at risk of abuse and exploitation.

Objectives:

To reduce drug use on the streets in particular injectable drug use and to prevent the transmission of STDs/HIV/AIDS among vulnerable youth. Methodology: Baseline study and situation assessment of Health problems particularly HIV and STDs among street children of Quetta, Pakistan.

Activities & Conclusion:

The program launched a peer education program, including: awareness of self and body protection focusing on child sexual abuse, STDs/HIV/AIDS, life skills, gender and sexual rights awareness, preventive health measures, and care at work. It also opened care and counseling center for these working and street children and handed these centers over to local communities. Relationships among AIDS-related knowledge and beliefs and sexual behavior of young adults were determined. 

Reasons for unsafe sex included: misconception about disease etiology, conflicting cultural values, risk denial, partner pressures, trust and partner significance, accusation of promiscuity, lack of community endorsement of protective measures, and barriers to condom access. In addition, socio-economic pressure, physiological issues, poor community participation and attitudes, and low education level limited the effectiveness of existing AIDS prevention education. According to the baseline study the male children are exposed to knowledge of safe sex through peers, Hakims, and blue films. Working children found sexual information through older children and their teachers/ supervisors (Ustad).

Recommendations:

It was found that working children are highly vulnerable to STDs/HIV/AIDS, as they lack protective measures in sexual abuse and are unaware of safe sexual practices. Training of adolescent as peer educators is recommended. Ours being an Islamic society, such information should be given to youth in a way that does not challenge local norms and values. Problem-based learning and participatory education for improving knowledge and condom use and community-based interventions should be considered for STDs/HIV/AIDS prevention.

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