Events > Kazantip

Report on the realization of the project "HIV and STD prevention among the participants of the youth festival KAZANTIP"

The project was carried out by the charity foundation "Hope and Salvation" in accordance to the agreement on performing social work between the British Councils and the Crimea National Center for fighting against the HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS prevention, and between the Crimea National Center for fighting against the HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS prevention and the charity foundation "Hope and Salvation".

The duration of the project was from the 22nd of July 2002 until 15th of August 2002.

The region where the project was carried out was village Popovka, Saki region, Crimea.

The goal of the project: attracting the attention of the festival participants to the HIV/AIDS problem, and developing the basics of safe sexual behavior.

Objectives:

1. Preparation and the activity of the working group.
2. Preparation, duplication and distribution of the informational materials.
3. Buying and distributing condoms.
4. Carrying out the "Invasion" action.
5. Preparing the movie about the project realization.

According to the terms of agreement between the British Councils and the Crimea National Center for fighting against the HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS prevention, and between the Crimea National Center for fighting against the HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS prevention and the charity foundation "Hope and Salvation" there was a working group prepared including 4 social workers and one coordinator.

1. Yatsuk Alexander, coordinator of the project, the head of the charity foundation "Hope and Salvation"
2. Rimarenko Natalya - pediatrician, infectionist, deputy of the infections department for the children who are HIV infected of the Simferopol's children isolation hospital
3. Kaplich Elena, stomatologist,
4. Sorokovik Pavel - student
5. Molodcov Sergei - student

On the general meeting of the group the work schedule, rules of behavior, and functional responsibilities were defined.

The activities of the social workers were held in shifts by the groups of 2 people. Work time from 12:00 to 15:00. In the rented straw hut the distribution of condoms and informational materials was carried out, project coordinator and the doctors (Rimarenko and Kaplich) provided consultations on the HIV/AIDS, STD problems. In general 15 consultations per shift were provided, in total 314 consultations.

The most frequent questions asked by the project participants were:

• Can you be HIV infected through a kiss?
• What is the probability to become infected through oral sex without using a condom?
• How well does the condom protect from the infection?
• Are the condoms of good quality, where are they produced and what is their expiration date?
• What are the most characteristic signs of being HIV infected?
• At this point of time is there effective medical treatment for the HIV/AIDS and how much does it cost?
• Do you have large size condoms?

Above that condoms and informational materials were actively distributed on dance-floors, on competitions, throughout the festival's territory. This work received favorable response from the technical personnel of the festival, several people from among the festival participants offered their help and served as volunteers. The activity of the social workers was filmed by several television companies: "ART", "Black Sea (Chernomorskaya) TV Company", and "Street TV". During the festival there was a documentary prepared by the German television and radio journalists, which will be broadcasted on the 1st German Television Channel, on the preparation stage these materials included interview with the project coordinator and the social workers involved in the project.

The overall number of participants was close to 50 000 people (mostly young people from 16 to 30 years old from Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia, The Baltic Sea countries (Estonia, Latvia, and so on), Germany), among them 60 to 70 % were involved in the project. Each day there were from 2000 to 4000 people present on the festival, and on the official opening day, the 2nd of August, approximately 10 000 people were present.

While preparing the informational material a need for 2 booklets emerged:

• On HIV/AIDS and safe sexual behavior
• On HIV and STDs

Participants of the previous festivals, people in charge of organizing the festival, president and members of the Crimea parliament, representatives from the British Councils, and people in charge of implementing the project, all were actively involved in the development of informational materials. As a result there were created 2 kinds of brochures adapted for festival participants with the logo of the project "Z+AIDS", logo of the EC project, and the logo of those who will implement the project, the charity foundation "Hope and Salvation". Print run: "On HIV/AIDS and safe sexual behavior" 20 000 brochures produced, 17 000 distributed; "On STDs" 5 000 brochures published, 4000 distributed. According to the responses received from the festival participants both brochures were very interesting to them and they were well designed.

As preparation for the project and during the realization of the project there were bought 56 484 "Contex" condoms, produced in Great Britain with the anti-AIDS messages on the packs of different types (for different kinds of sex). 2 condoms were given to each person who wanted to take them; sometimes at the request of the participant they were given 3 or more. In total there were 56 484 condoms distributed. According to the responses received from the festival participants "Contex" condoms satisfy even the most sophisticated demands (quality, color, shape, size, sensitivity).

On the August 10th, during the time when most participants were gathered in one place, at 18:00 the "Invasion" action was held. The goal of the action was, in an untraditional manner, to attract the attention of participants to the problems of HIV/AIDS and STDs. A yacht was rented for the action on which a banner with the project logo was posted. According to the script of the action from the yacht, which was 40 meters from the sea shore, 10 Scuba divers started swimming towards the shore. Simultaneously with their coming out of the water a group from the theater on stilts appears with 2 of the actors portraying condoms on stilts. Actors were supported by a group of drummers. Scuba divers and the actors on stilts surrounded the festival participants that were resting on the beach, and distributed condoms, informational materials, specially designed T-shirts with the festival logo. And simultaneously music on both dance-floors was played.

The description of how the project was implemented, opinions from the festival participants, from the people in charge of organizing the festival are reflected in the film, created according to the agreement and is attached to the report.

The project was appreciated and favored by the participants, many were simply grateful and even expressed admiration about the fact that attention was given to the problems of sexual health, HIV/AIDS, and an opportunity to receive free condoms was given. Also the people who organized the festival were appreciative of the project as a sign of care for the people in the republic of "KAZANTIP", and the people who implemented the project were also very appreciative and satisfied with the project. A desire was expressed to make such action a permanent part of the festival. In order to reach this goal a search of sponsors both on local and international level is planned, contacting the condom producers about a possible decrease in their price for condoms that will be bought for non-commercial goals. During the realization of the project there were ideas expressed about producing a special brand or kind of condoms with the festival's logo.