Youth Ambassador X 10 at Anova Health Institute

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Health Promotion:

• Conduct age-appropriate adolescent-centred health talks to adolescents using existing IEC materials in the facility and the community.
• Promote B-wise usage and sign-up clients.
• Educate adolescents on their health-related rights and responsibilities, specifically HTS, AYFS, SRH and PrEP.
• Do practical demonstrations on condom use, hand washing and other healthcare practices
• Promote condom use and ensure condoms are distributed/provided to clients.
• Conduct demand creation for outreach services and address barriers among youth to access contraceptives and GBV services.

Linkage to the care of adolescent and youth:

• Serve as a contact person and navigator for adolescents accessing healthcare services.
• Assist in creating awareness of CBO service packages facilitating and strengthening referrals.
• Promote the uptake of HIV testing and linkage to adolescent care and support them through the process.
• Follow up to ensure clients attend their scheduled appointments
• Identify, recruit, facilitate and maintain clients in Youth Care Clubs and support groups within selected facilities

Improving retention in care and virological suppression:

• Create a safe space for adolescents to discuss social and health-related issues affecting them
• Support disclosure and adherence and refer for disclosure those with poor adherence and unsuppressed VLs
• Recruit HIV-positive adolescents & youth to youth care clubs (YCCs) and adult services
• Organisation and facilitation of Youth Care Clubs

 Health Facility Engagement:

• Form part of the multidisciplinary facility team and work with the teams to ensure that the programme’s targets are met
• Participate on the Clinics’ Health Committee/Forum and represent adolescents in these forums
• Develop adolescent’s friendly forum where adolescent health opinions, concerns and expectations are taken into consideration
• Act as a voice for adolescents in the facility/community for HIV related issues
• Promote Adolescent and Youth Friendly Service Provision

 Community Engagement:

• Serve as a link between adolescents, local clinics, CBOs, other NPOs and other health services within the community
• Under supervision, establish or strengthen links with schools (when necessary) and actively engage in outreach programmes
• Serve as youth representative for ANOVA Health Institute at various youth gatherings and platforms

Administration:

• Keep an updated record of number of clients supported to HTS, tested HIV  positive, linked into care and youth clubs, or HIV negative linked to PrEP service etc. in line with stationery used by DoH and Anova
• Keep records including heath education registers, agenda, and minutes
• Be available to work afterhours (weekends or Public Holidays) at DoH facilities and at community level when required
• Manage project resources (airtime and data usage)
• Attend meetings as required
• Under supervision, be able to assist in file audits when necessary

Reporting:

• Ensure timeous submission of reports (workload etc.)
• Adhere to DoH facility reporting format for data and report according to facility protocol
• Report monthly to Technical Advisor and ensure that youth data is included in Anova facility team report

Minimum Qualifications, Experience and Skills Required:

• Completed Grade 12
• Local youth between 19 and 32 years of age
• Currently  not engaged in formal education
• Experience in public speaking and previous leadership roles an advantage
• Experience working with adolescents in facilities, community, or schools
• Experience as a LoveLife Ground-breaker or peer-to-peer youth program, an advantage
• Prior knowledge of HIV/AIDS
• A recognised HIV counselling certificate would be a distinct advantage.
• Ability to follow strict confidentiality requirements
• Ability to influence young people towards behaviour modification
• Good problem-solving skills
• Able to work independently
• Punctual, reliable, and organised
• Eager to work with young people
• Sensitivity to the specific needs of adolescents and young people
• Be a team player
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Mobilisation skills
• Ability to establish trust and communicate effectively with adolescents.
• Non-judgmental attitude
• Ability to organise and present health education sessions
• Able to conduct life skills and HIV/AIDS-related discussion groups