The Armenian Red Cross Youth has for many years implemented the Bridges of Friendship programme. In the framework of this programme volunteers visit schools and talk about interpersonal topics that can be difficult for the pupils to get answers to. In a traditional, conservative society where respect for the elder is significant, many questions remain unanswered, even unasked. Now, with the number of hiv-infected rising in Armenia, the programme will be expanded to involve more dissemination on hiv and aids.

From Jamaica to Armenia

One of the Norwegian youth delegates to Armenia this year, Sunniva Lofthus Sandø, has considerable experience from the Active Choice activity in Norway. She eagerly started preparing her first training for the Bridges of Friendship volunteers who are going to disseminate hiv/aids related issues in schools, and before long it became obvious that a lot had to be amended to make the programme fit for Armenian conditions.

Challenging traditions

One challenge was cases for peer pressure role plays. Talking to Armenians and foreigners living in Yerevan, it soon turned out that the issue of prostitutes would have to be included in the trainings.

In Armenia it is accepted for boys to have sex before marriage, whereas the opposite is the case for girls. So who can boys have sex with if not their girlfriends? It takes time for attitudes to change, so maybe peer educators should focus on stressing the importance of condom use?

Talking openly in a closed society

Enter challenge number two. If you talk about the condom, or show the condom, not to mention demonstrate how to use it properly to pupils, you will offend them by assuming they need it. In particular teachers and parents would react negatively in many regions. Condom demonstration is hence out, so maybe the focus should be on how to obtain the pupils’ trust, and how to be straight with them?

In Armenian colloquial words for genitalia and having sex do not exist, sources said. Of course they exist, say others. So what do you do when you want to help the peer educators gain confidence in how to talk openly to young people about sex and contraception, when even the discussion about the existence of words is difficult? This remains a challenge, but the volunteers are up to it.

- No condoms yet

To change a long established practices you have to start somewhere, and the Red Cross Youth peer educators are really aware of their responsibility in this regard. Tatevik Ambardzymyan (21) from Yerevan has been a volunteer in the Red Cross Youth six years already, and has participated in several trainings on this topic. The most recent training refreshed her knowledge on the topic as well as on the method of peer education, and she is satisfied with the input.
- Some of the new activities I will certainly use when I go to schools, but they definitely need to be adapted to fit the Armenian society, Tatevik says.
- For example when it comes to condoms you need to start very carefully, and then include more and more detailed information step by step, she explains.

Include the priest

The volunteers in Armenia also have to deal with teachers insisting to be present during the session, parents, and as in the case of Tatevik’s next session, even a priest. But Tatevik is very resolute that the adults can be there only for the first session.
- Without the adults present the teenagers are open and ask questions, and listen eagerly to the information we provide them. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it, concludes Tatevik.
- We will just have to provide the adults with this information later, as they find it so interesting, she smiles.