Wihofszky P; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 2000 Jul 9-14; 13: abstract no. WePeD4800.
P. Wihofszky, Alice-Salomon-Stipendienprogramm, Wissmannstr.43, 12 049 Berlin, Germany, Tel.: 0049.30.62723078, E-mail: pwihofszky@aol.com
Background: Peer involvement is one of the most common approaches in community-based settings. New findings emerged from a study focused on projects in Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal and Togo for sex workers and so-called free women. As a part of the West African Initiative, the study aimed to explore practices of community participation including peer involvement. The inquiry embraces two aspects: examination of the projects' structure (e.g.objectives) and the interpretation of peer workers' insights (e.g.motivation). The approach grounded theory allows to generate concepts on peer involvement founded on practical experience on grass-root's level. Methods: Data were collected in 1997. Semi-structered interviews (10) were carried out with project leaders and staff members. Focus group discussions (8) were conducted with peer workers in each country. Further focus groups (7) were held with sex workers to validate primary hypothesis. The analysis is divided into content analysis and interpretation of the interaction of the respondents as well as their collective shared opinions. Results: 1. Eight out of ten projects being part of the study disclosed the function of peer workers as the actual link between the heterogeneous sex work milieu and the staff of the project. The peer workers' contribution is to be described as the hidden core of the project. 2. The initial findings dealing with the peer workers' insights revealed that they had developed an unexpected professional understanding of their role in the projects. This awareness is based upon their achievement of personal skills due to their project activities. The observed dynamic wasn't intended by the project design in most of the examined cases. Conclusion: Therefore the participation of peer workers is twofold: they improve the effectiveness of project activities and advance empowerment of the women involved. For future programme design innovations on intervention concepts must include both dynamics.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Africa
- Behavior
- Communication
- Consumer Participation
- Cote d'Ivoire
- Female
- Humans
- Interpersonal Relations
- Mali
- Peer Group
- Prostitution
- Research
- Senegal
- Teaching
- Togo
- education
- manpower
- methods
- therapy
Other ID:
UI: 102241170
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