Many, but not all of the organizations working in the Educaids network share a Christian background. Faith Based Organisations (FBO’s) have historically been involved in many community activities, including community sensitisation activities and a variety of educational activities. FBO’s look for possibilities to build on spiritual well being and development in their provision of SRHR education. The Bible as guidance, however needed and wanted, is clearly not easily applicable. Ethical values and principles, however strong, are not direct concrete tools in questions related to SRHR. Religious leaders are crucial actors in changing dogmas now hindering the necessary work on SRHR. FBO’s are promoting valuable prevention strategies like abstinence and faithfulness, but this strategy falls short for a large proportion of youth that is already sexual active, and also for those that soon will experiment with sex. Comprehensive sexuality education aims to support the youth to make conscious and responsible choices for a save sexual life, and has to inform young people that one of the options is the proper and responsible use of condoms (male & female) as way of prevention of diseases and pregnancy. Educaids recognizes that many Christian CSO’s have to deal with conflicts of opinion. Education curricula based on Christian values are often not fully answering the SRHR needs of young people. In many Christian communities there is a reserved attitude towards sexuality, especially before marriage and HIV is sometimes regarded as a sin. Educaids is helping to open up the discussion between FBO’s and support them to develop SRHR policies that both reflect Christian values and answer the actual situation and need of young people.
EDUCAIDS
Christian Alliance on Hiv and Education
