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	Working towards better communication
	Your role in information sharing
	Tips for trainers

Working towards better communication

Education through good communication should aim to help people to:
 

	increase their knowledge
	assess their personal risk, and feel that it is important to make changes in their own lives
	think about their attitudes about, for example, sex and condom use, sex workers or people with HIV
	develop skills to put knowledge into practice and feel able to change what they do
	find realistic ways to solve wider social and economic problems which contribute to HIV spread.

The best education uses methods of communication that encourage people to listen and respond to each other. Communication is a two-way process and means sharing information, ideas, feelings and knowledge.

Good communication means that people are actively involved in learning activities. This helps them to experience a new way of doing or thinking about things, and is often called participatory learning.

However, many teaching and training activities focus on simply giving information to people through posters or lectures. Achieving better communication may mean moving from an information-giving approach to an information-sharing approach. The differences in these approaches are shown in the table on the next page.

Good communication is not always easy. Why is this? 

Good communication depends on a continuous exchange of ideas, feelings or information between two or more people. But many different things can block or prevent good communication. For example:
 

	people may have other urgent concerns and priorities
	the information is presented in a boring or complicated manner
	the trainer may be unfriendly or irritable, talk too much or patronise the group
	the environment may be too hot, too crowded, or people may have walked a long way to the meeting and feel too tired to listen
	teaching techniques often fail to take into account people's own experience and understanding of sex, sexuality and illness, which influence their attitudes to life, death and risk taking.

Often trainers find it difficult to try new approaches. They find it easier to do most of the talking because they feel they do not have the skills and confidence to try other methods.

Many trainers are not used to discussing issues related to sexual behaviour. They find it hard to create a relaxed atmosphere for open discussion. Educational and lifestyle differences between trainers and learners can also lead to problems in communication.

Your role in information sharing

1 Critically examine the gaps in your own knowledge

Ask yourself if you feel confident about the answers to these questions:
 

	What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
	What are the most common ways in which HIV and other sexually transmitted infections are spread?
	Do you have information about reproductive health and sexual development?
	What issues are linked with HIV (e. g. untreated sexually transmitted infections, unemployment, poverty, the need to migrate, the position of women)?
	What factors may prevent a change in attitudes and behaviour (e. g. people think that HIV will not affect them)?

2 Think about your own attitudes 
 
It is helpful to explore your personal feelings about HIV/AIDS and sexuality before you start discussing the issues as a trainer. Think about your: 
 

	fears about HIV infection and AIDS
	feelings about people who have tested HIV positive
	beliefs about illness and death
	thoughts about having more than one partner
	attitudes to sex, marriage and having children
	beliefs about what men and women should and should not do
	attitudes to sex outside marriage
	attitudes about having sex at an early age
	feelings about sex workers and homosexuality.

Think about how your feelings affect your work with other people.


3 Explore what people think without judging them
 
Avoid presenting your own opinions about an issue before you have listened to and understood how people in the community view the problem. Make it clear that you do not have all the answers all the time.

Question beliefs which you know to be harmful and untrue. Be prepared to challenge negative attitudes about women and to speak out in support of people with HIV and their families who are struggling against stigma in the community. Be assertive, but never aggressive!

Use real experiences to raise issues which people may find difficult to discuss. For example, if you yourself have HIV, and are open about it, you may decide to share this information in order to encourage open discussion. There may also be others in the community who are willing to share experiences and talk openly about HIV and what it means in their lives.

4  Use appropriate language
 
Trainers need to use words and phrases which are culturally acceptable and easily understood, and which they feel comfortable using.

However, talking about sex in public is difficult, and the trainer needs to feel able to use words which are not commonly said in public. It is important to be open, but not to offend.

This means thinking about:
 

	using appropriate words for male and female parts of the body
	avoiding medical words which are not widely used or understood
	your ability to talk freely about sex
	using words which do not offend or patronise people who have HIV/AIDS or their families
	words or phrases which blame certain people in the community, e. g. prostitutes cause AIDS.

 

Words to avoid            Words to use instead   AIDS victim/sufferer Person with AIDS Prostitute Sex worker AIDS carrier Person with HIV HIV positive person Person living with HIV

5 Work in partnership with people 
 
Health and community workers, teachers and religious leaders involved in HIV prevention are not in conflict or competition with others who carry out health education in the community. Sharing resources, ideas and information with others is very valuable.
 

Tips for trainers

Working in small groups allows people to explore issues and learn from each other.

Groups need a facilitator - this is the person who explains group activities, guides the discussion and provides information where necessary. Being able to lead group discussions and use different activities to involve participants is a very useful skill.


1  Planning and preparation
 
Plan the training session to suit people's needs, and think about how to create an atmosphere which enables people to take part as much as possible. Be flexible, and: 
 

	try to see the problem from different people's points of view
	plan the structure of the talk and how to break it up with questions or activities
	begin with what people know and build on this
	avoid telling people what not to do
	leave time for a summary and questions
	give people ideas on which they are able to act.

Think about the following. 
 

	Where - try to hold the session in 'neutral' territory, never in the boss' office. Seat people in a circle so they can all see each other.
	What - make sure teaching tools and resources such as a chalkboard and flipcharts are available
	Who - work with about 12 to 15 people. If there are too many people some will not participate. A useful discussion is unlikely to take place if there are too few.
	How - break up into pairs or smaller groups of 4 or 5 for some discussions and activities. Men and women may find it easier to discuss some issues in single sex groups, to help them be more open.
	When - plan your session to last at least half a day and include activities, games and follow-up discussion. Schedule a short break at least every hour.

2  Starting the session
 
At the beginning: 
 

	check the timetable, breaks and finishing time
	make sure that everyone is comfortable, and ideally sitting in a circle
	if necessary, ask the group to choose a person to record any decisions made.

 
Warm-up activity
Even if people know each other, it is useful to do a warm-up activity to help them relax. For example, invite people to get into pairs and ask each other their name, what they do, and what they most like and hate in life. Adapt the questions depending on the group. Then ask each person to introduce their partner.

Setting guidelines
The facilitator should ask people to briefly discuss and agree a few guidelines that will help them work together. Issues may include:
 

	allowing everyone to express their views
	listening to what people say
	dealing with any disruption
	keeping confidentiality
	encouraging people to speak without pressuring them.

Expectations
Ask each person to say what they feel are the aims of the session and what they hope to gain from it. Write these on a large sheet of paper. When everyone has contributed, ask them to decide which are the three main aims. These agreed discussion aims can be referred to during the assessment session at the end.

3  During Discussions
 
Be in touch with your audience. Try to understand their personal way of life, their strengths, and their beliefs and customs. Recognise their skills, their wisdom and their willingness.

Remember these important rules: 
 

	smile and make eye contact with everyone
	use the KISS rule (Keep It Short and Simple)
	avoid complicated language
	talk honestly about sexual behaviour, options and alternatives - if people are reluctant to talk about sex, start with other lifestyle changes, such as drinking or smoking less
	repeat the information without being boring; ask people to summarise what you have said
	check that people are understanding what you are saying.

Try not to be a teacher:
 

	don't do all the talking
	provide information, advice and support when needed
	listen carefully at all times
	guide group members through the discussion
	assist the group to keep to time and to the aims.

Ways to make sessions more interesting 
 

	Encourage participation through group activities, stories and role plays (see Part 3).
	Break into smaller groups or pairs to discuss issues, and ask people to summarise their discussions with the main group.
	Use visual aids and make sure they can be seen
	Invite questions and encourage discussion
	After discussions, involve people in making a list of key points.

Ask open and respectful questions, rather than ones which point to a particular answer. For example, ask: 'What do you think about sex outside marriage?' rather than 'Do you think sex outside marriage is bad?' 

It can help to ask questions which lead to further debate, such as: 
 

	'In your view, why do you think this makes such an important difference?'
	'What do other people think about this important issue?'
	'Thank you for your important contribution - now let us hear from the other members.

Changing to a different activity can help. For example: 
 

	invite the recorder to summarise the discussion
	refer to a list of key questions which still need to be answered
	use role play to demonstrate a point
	ask for an opinion from a quiet member.

4 Finishing the session
 

	Always make time for people to give feedback.
	Go round the group, and ask each person if they feel the aims of the session had been achieved (written up at the beginning), and which parts they found most and least useful.
	Spend time discussing people's future plans, especially if they are themselves educators or trainers.
	Ask if people would like a follow-up session (if this is possible), and what they would like it to cover.