"Kuzuiya ni bora kuliko kuponya"
Swahili Proverb: "It is better to protect than to cure."

Mission Statement:

IT HELPS is a non-profit organization dedicated to conducting HIV/AIDS intervention projects in regions of the world adversely impacted by this disease pandemic. IT HELPS is an acronym for Isaiah Tucker Healthy Everyday Living Projects. Isaiah, the son of founders Robert and Sami, was intending to work with his parents on the Kenya project, a commitment tragically cut short by his death in 2004 while teaching English in Japan. IT HELPS is committed to improving awareness of HIV/AIDS including risk behavior, transmission, and prevention in each community we serve through education based projects. We believe that the most successful responses to this pandemic is built upon local leadership, and thus our work is focused on empowering peer educator's selected from target populations to lead an HIV/AIDS intervention program.


The Program:

In 2003 IT HELPS, in collaboration with local community members and with the assistance of a German NGO, initiated its first peer-educator-based HIV/AIDS intervention program in the Makindu region of southeastern Kenya. Prior to implementing this program IT HELPS staff members developed a research strategy to evaluate the impact of this grassroots program, designed an educational approach, and developed training manuals. The program began with a two week training workshop for the peer educator staff members (selected Kenyans in the Makindu region), many who were hired upon completing the workshop and passing the final exam. Once hired these peer educators began meeting with groups of 12 to 18 people twice a week over a 6-week period. Meetings were held in various locations, and covered content such as risk behaviors for HIV infection, HIV transmission, strategies for avoiding infection, communication skills (e.g. condom negotiation skills), gender issues, and other topics pertinent to behavior change and safer sexual practices. Peer educators taught through a variety of mediums including group discussion, role-playing, games, group activities, and participatory instruction (e.g. using wooden penis models to practice proper condom usage).

To date, several thousand adults and youth have participated in these community educational workshops in the Makindu region, including members of workers' cooperatives, sport teams, women support groups, religious organizations, and commercial sex workers. Recently, the program expanded to include elementary schools, thus opening up the opportunity for children ages 9 to 18, their parents, and teachers to participate in training workshops.

Research evidence obtained via administration of anonymous pre- and post-workshop questionnaires has revealed improved awareness of HIV/AIDS risk behaviors and prevention strategies. In addition, research evidence reveals significant increases in safer sexual behaviors among all categories of participants as a direct result of our educational program.

Initially this program was partially funded by IT HELPS, but is now self-sufficient thanks in large part to a substantial grant from the European Community (EU), and the continued expertise and dedication of the peer educator staff. The establishment of a self-sufficient, self-sustaining, and locally managed program is a primary goal of our organization. In the near future, IT HELPS will focus its HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in another region of Kenya.

For more information or questions please contact: info@ithelps.org