OUTREACH WORKERS CAPACITY BUILDING

In a continuous effort to improve lives in sustainable ways through development of programs that are evidence based and grounded in thorough research, SWOP held a three (3) day capacity building exercise for new outreach workers. (24-26 April 2013)

SWOP mobilizes sex workers through trained peer leaders who are themselves identified and chosen by the sex workers with the main purpose of providing them comprehensive service that included both education messages and well as clinical care.

The training held at the Sunrise Hotel Downtown, Nairobi saw eleven (11) outreach workers facilitated by SWOP Prevention Officers Mr. Gibson Wachira, Mr. Kimathi Maingi and Ms. Rodha Wanjiru.

The theme of the three day course was MICROPLANNING. This was aimed at equipping the outreach workers with better man management skills so that they can effectively manage their sites of work. Emphasis was put on the outreach workers ability to know and relate with their peer educators and sex workers on a more individual level.

The participants were taken through the various levels of Micro-planning which include:

·         Planning at the site level

·         Planning at sex workers level

Also core to effective micro-planning was SITE TOOLS, which would guide outreach workers when in the field. Site tools include:

Tools at the site level

a)    Site load mapping

This will guide outreach workers to identify the number of sex workers in their sites and also know the proximity of their sites to others

b)    Site analysis

This will help outreach workers know the physical address of their sites, the type of sex workers and the level of violence experienced in their sites.

Site analysis depends on the type and age of sex workers, clients and the time of activity in    the sites.

Tools at individual level

c)    Contact listing/mapping

Contact listing will enable outreach workers know number of sex workers in their sites, help them in selecting peer leaders and also understanding the network to avoid duplication of sex workers.

d)    Peer plan

This tool is imperative as it will help outreach workers in the process of profiling sex workers (clients, age, and level of violence) and more so help in planning outreach activities

e)    Opportunity gap analysis

Outreach workers would monitor the programme in their sites by knowing number of sex workers, condom distribution, new entrance to clinics, cases of violence, peer leaders recruited,

The training which was the first of its kind would benefit outreach workers in many ways

• Identify and prioritize their respective sites
• Identify age groups and operation time of their sites
• Know how to effectively carry out their work with peer leaders and how to better guide and manage peers
• Identify level of violence experienced in the sites
•  Know the needs of sex workers in their sites and also status of condom distribution
•  Help them in peer selection process