This Valentine’s Day held some surprises for patrons of Nairobi’s WAB Hotel and Club Casuarinas in Buruburu. Staff and volunteers from HOPE
worldwide Kenya's ABC program provided a program of edutainment at each of the bars, with the ultimate goal of encouraging couples to show their love for each other by getting tested for HIV. Despite a slight delay in set-up thanks to a broken down lorry, HOPE
worldwide Kenya (HWWK) staff and volunteers worked quickly to have mobile VCT tents set up outside the bars by 3:30 in the afternoon. The first couple was tested shortly thereafter and Valentine’s Day with a Difference was begun!
Later in the evening, as the bars filled up with patrons, HWWK staff began the bar outreaches. Armed with gift-wrapped chocolate bars, red roses and other prizes, our MC’s engaged the audience in frank discussions of HIV and AIDS. Willing participants in both the older crowd at WAB Hotel and the youth at Club Casuarinas answered tough questions, such as “why do you trust your partner?,” in exchange for prizes. A few audience members were even invited to provide condom demonstrations to the great amusement of their friends!
Audience members especially enjoyed the tunes played by HWWK-trained DJs. A special treat entertainer Ousmane’s performance – he even altered the lyrics of one of his songs to include HOPE, singing “Hope worldwide, I love you so much!”
Our MCs fielded questions from the participants on everything from trust to whether or not a person must use condoms consistently. One couple announced to the crowd at Club Casuarinas that they trusted each other because they had both gone for HIV counseling and testing – what a great testament to the work HOPE is doing!
In Mtito Andei in Kibwezi District a similar evening nightclub outreach followed a Health Talk at the Catholic Church earlier in the day in which community members discussed the keys to healthy dating and marriage relationships.
The Okay K4 Club was the venue for the evening outreach, where couples and youth gathered in large numbers. Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge, Island School of Beauty, Tsavo Inn, Okay K4 Club and Safaricom partnered with HWWK to provide energetic music and attractive prizes as the backdrop for the audience to engage in sessions that tested their knowledge on reproductive health, passed messages about HIV and Behaviour Change, and heralded the need for couples to know their HIV status.
The Makindu Centre of HOPE rap group, made up for HWWK staff and volunteers, also put on a special performance for the occasion, with the call, “Valentine, now is the time” to know your HIV status and decide to love safely.
The reaction of the crowd to these events was truly encouraging. One gentleman said that the theme was “very good” and that HWWK should be sure to continue on with their efforts. Several other participants also encouraged HWWK staff to keep up the good work and to continue spreading the message of VCT. One lady, dressed in red and thoroughly enjoying her Valentine’s Day summed up the evening by stating that this information is a “wake up call for Kenya” and should not be ignored. What an important message for all couples on Valentine’s Day!
