STRATEGY 2022-2025

Feedback from our net work of young people living with HIV and stakeholders highlighted the following challenges:

■ Poor mental health and wellbeing as a result of dealing with self-stigma as well as stigma and discrimination by others

■ Poor quality health ser vices and negative attitudes in health care settings, especially towards young people

■ Low levels of treatment literacy means that young people do not fully understand the treatment they need and lack the agency to advocate for it

■ The impact of coping with COVID-19 and the restrictions which curtailed access to education, healthcare, work opportunities and social lives

■ Very poor access to comprehensive sexuality education and e ective and safe contraception

■ Lack of understanding of the diverse needs and priorities of diverse young people, particularly those who are marginalised and criminalised

We launch this new strategy with a clear mandate to continue to represent the voice of young people living with HIV across the globe. The world will not end the HIV epidemic without us. In return, we will contribute our energy, our vision, our ideals, our lived experience, and knowledge. We will represent ourselves and our needs. We urge you all to stand by us.

OUR VISION

OUR MISSION

All young people living with HIV enjoy healthy and fulfilling lives.

Our Values Our Strategy

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■ We challenge inequality and prejudice.

■ We collaborate to reach our goals.

■ We are bold and brave.

■ We are accountable to each other

■ We are diverse and inclusive.

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To mobilise young people living with HIV around the world to promote our right to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

Raise Our Voice

We will raise and amplify our voice to advocate for our right to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

Strategic Pillar 1 3

■ We will hold decision makers in the HIV response to account. We will do this by advocating for:

Youth representation within HIV governance structures including policy, budgeting and other decision making spaces

The achievement of the Global Targets and transparency of budget expenditure with a specific focus on meaningful youth engagement and programmes specifically for young people

The development and use of ethical standards for inclusion of and support to young people living with HIV.

■ We will represent our needs based on the voices of our net work, our collective knowledge, and our lived experiences.

■ We will be heard in all our diversity, and we will be clear on what we are asking for – we will develop an annual advocacy plan, which will be agreed and shared across our net work.

Our strategy is divided into three strategic pillars. Under each pillar is a range of activities designed to help us deliver our vision, mission, and strategy.

■ We will develop e ective and responsive youth led communications, using the latest technologies, to communicate with each other and ex ternally.

■ We will build our collective capacity for e ective advocacy via training and facilitation, mentorship and evaluation.

■ We will seek to raise funds for global advocacy work and youth representation in key policy spaces.

Project details: example character designs from a series developed to support printed and online materials for ‘HER Voice Find’. Client: Global network of young people living with HIV (Y+).

Project details: character designs, illustrations and design layout for monitoring and evaluation resouces. These were produced in English, Portuguese and Swahili. Client: READY and Frontline AIDS (formerly International HIV/AIDS Alliance). Note: some characters used in the illustrations are adapted from existing characters provided by the client.

A POCKET GUIDE TO READY+

Supporting and empowering young people’s health

Outcome 1

Resilient and empowered adolescents and young people have increased knowledge and agency to make healthier and informed choices about their bodies and their lives.

n Proportion of adolescents and young people confident to seek sexual and reproductive health information and services.

n % of women and men, aged 15–29, who report discriminatory attitudes towards people living with HIV n % of adolescents and young people who express equitable gender norms. n Proportion of women aged 15–29 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care.

Medium-term results

1. Adolescents and young people (including young mothers) have increased access to accurate, relevant and comprehensive information on gender and sexuality.

l % of and number of young vulnerable people who indicate that they do make healthy choices on SRHR.

l % of adolescents and young people surveyed with improved comfort in speaking to others about HIV

How we do it

Sexuality and life-skills tools and materials developed /adapted and shared.

Peer supporters (community adolescent treatment supporters (CATS) and Young Peer Mothers) identified, trained, and supported to conduct outreach.

Adolescents and young people participate in group safe spaces for adolescents and young people to meet and learn together.

Adolescents and young people (including young mothers) receive one to one peer support.

Outcome 5

Resilient and empowered adolescents and young people have improved skills and better choices/ options to secure livelihoods.

n % of young vulnerable people who have been empowered with integrated skills training (entrepreneurship, vocational training and life skills training).

n % of beneficiaries with access to more income generating opportunities.

Medium-term results

1. Increased access to integrated skills training opportunities.

l Proportion of beneficiaries successfully enrolled in integrated skills training programmes e.g. Young Africa centres.

2. Functional Internal Savings and Lending schemes (ISALs) led by young people.

l Proportion of functional Internal Savings and Lending schemes (ISALs) based on a functionality assessment.

How we do it

Adolescents and young people are referred to Young Africa’s training centres. Career plans and other opportunities explored to support CATS transition. Internal savings and lending schemes (ISALs) groups trained.