Since HIV and AIDS was declared a national disaster in 1999, the Government of Kenya has used various approaches to combat the scourge. The approaches have been multi-sectoral, multi-displinary and multi-stakeholder (3M approach). This approach has gained ground in view of the fact that the HIV/AIDS pandemic has negatively impacted on all sectors. One of the most affected sectors is education.

According to the International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA: 2001), HIV/AIDS has been conceptualized as affecting education through ten different mechanisms the core ones being: affecting demand for education, supply of education, availability of resource for education, potential clientele for education, the organization of school and the process of education.

The United Nations Program on AIDS (UNAIDS, 2003) Strategic Approach to HIV/AIDS and Education provides a comprehensive relationship between education and HIV/AIDS. The plan outlines and is emphatic on priority areas of action on HIV/AIDS prevention and for mitigating its impact on education. While the strategy constantly stresses the importance of concerted large-scale action, it also encourages any responsible decision maker to start with what is possible. This is where teacher colleges come in.
According to UNESCO EFA NEWS (2005) the five cluster countries of UNESCO Nairobi office have resolved to focus on three core initiatives to push the EFA agenda for the next two years. These are adult literacy, teacher education and HIV/AIDS where the third initiative is cross cutting and implementation strategy is the 3M approach. The UNESCO Nairobi Office has had to help countries come up with processes that are specific to their education sectors. Through the UNESCO initiative and support, Kenya is the first cluster country to have developed and disseminated its HIV/AIDS policy FOR THE EDUCATION SECTOR.
A part from emphasizing on policy framework other aspects of UNESCO activities have included developing training manuals for teachers on ways of handling HIV/AIDS subject matter and related issues in the classroom, counseling and guiding learners who are affected and infected as well as helping themselves to avoid infection or to cope in cases of infection or affection. UNESCO is also assisting in carrying out HIV/AIDS prevention, support and care campaigns by providing them with information and communication materials that disseminate messages to help stem the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The launch of the education sector policy on HIV/ AIDS in 2004 is a reflection of the commitment by the Ministry of Education to fight the pandemic. The domestication of this policy to suit the needs of the teacher Colleges is a micro-level approach in line with the recommendations. Accordingly, the Ministry of Education in collaboration with Development, Partners, NGOs and Faith based Organizations have put in place programmes to mitigate the effects of AIDS in the Education Sector.

This project is an example of the collaborative efforts by the Ministry to fight the scourge. It is part of a broader programme to strengthen the sector policy to provide HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support as outlined in the Kenya Education Sector Support Programme (KESSP) launched in July 2005. In this programme emphasis is on pooling of resources and strengthening collaborations among stakeholders in HIV/ AIDS as one of the 23 programmes that will be implemented in the KESSP plan 2005 – 2010.

The main strategies to be addressed are:
• Maximizing potential strengths of Educational institutions in all sectors to help prevent new HIV infections.
• Scaling up evidence initiatives to wider audiences, whilst maintaining effectiveness.
• Utilizing existing training capacity and teaching and learning resources strategically and cost effectively.
• Protecting, caring and providing support to the most vulnerable learners, including orphans, girls, those out of school and those with special needs in education.
• Leading others in strong multi-sectoral partnerships.
• Mobilizing education service providers to implement the HIV/AIDS policy to the full and in conjunction with other sectors.
• Strengthening and extending the response to the prevention and caring needs of education services providers.

Following the UNESCO Nairobi Cluster, meeting which was held in Kigali in May 2005, UNESCO approved US dollars 85,000 for Kenya for the mitigation of HIV/AIDS in the Teacher Education subsector. The project has five activities planned for implementation in three phases between August 2005 and February 2006.

The first phase covered; capacity building workshop for Principals of Teacher Training Colleges and National Secondary schools (60 Principals), capacity building workshop for Deputy Principals of Teacher Training Colleges and selected Heads of Provincial Secondary Schools (60) and monitoring and evaluation.

The second phase would cover a workshop for HIV positive teachers, printing and distribution of information Education and Communication (IEC) materials and monitoring and evaluation.

The third phase will cover monitoring visits and final reporting. The final report is to include concrete recommendations on the expansion of the capacity building activities and opportunities for scaling up.

The objectives of the project include:
• To empower the Principals of Teacher Training Colleges and National Secondary Schools to manage HIV/AIDS at colleges and National Schools.
• To empower Deputy Principals of Teacher Training Colleges and Principals of selected Provincial Secondary Schools with knowledge, skills and attitudes to manage HIV/AIDS at the work place i.e Teacher Training Colleges and Secondary Schools.
• To advocate for change in behaviour in Teacher Training Colleges and Secondary Schools.
• To build capacity for HIV/ AIDS for positive HIV/AIDS teachers.
• To monitor the effectiveness of acquired HIV/AIDS knowledge, skills and attitudes in education management.

The Workshop for Principals of Teacher Training Colleges and National Secondary Schools was held from 8th – 12th August 2005 at Sportsview Hotel at Kasarani in Nairobi. It was a well attended workshop of high quality and was really appreciated by Principals. One of the major outcomes was a draft work place policy guideline.

A second workshop for Deputy Principals of Teacher Training Colleges and Principals of selected Provincial Secondary Schools was held from 26th to 30th September 2005 at the Kenya Institute of Education while a third workshop for HIV – positive teachers was held from 5th to 9th December 2005 also at the Kenya Institute of Education.

These workshops provided awareness for learning and exchanging experiences on best practices as institutions wrestle with the challenges facing them.

The following are some of the recommendations that were made in the above workshops:

• There will be promotion of Guidance and Counseling departments in Teacher Training Colleges and Schools to help in mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS.
• Guidance and Counseling Departments in Teacher Colleges and schools should be headed by Government appointees.
• Teachers counselors to be trained on handling HIV/ AIDS cases and their load to be lessened to allow them enough time for counseling.
• There is need to create conducive rooms for Guidance and Counseling in Teacher Training Colleges and schools for Psychological Counseling and Voluntary Counseling Testing referral.
• Colleges and schools should establish/strengthen Health Clubs to deal with the mitigation of HIV and AIDS.
• The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology should set aside Special Risk Funds as a response to challenges facing orphans and vulnerable students.
• There is need for the Teacher Training Colleges and schools to get financial support from Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST) to customize the Education Sector policy on HIV and AIDS through the Kenya Technical Colleges Principals Association (KTCPA) and Kenya Secondary Schools Principals Association (KSSPA), Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) as a collective approach to fighting the scourge.
• The principals of Teacher Training Colleges and Secondary Schools should be represented in District Education Board (DEB), through their association to lobby for funds to assist the orphans and the needy students.
• Colleges and Schools should set aside funds for the provision of nutrients diet to the HIV/ AIDS learner, with the help of the Board of Governors (BOG)/ Parents Teachers Association (PTA) and other partners.
• Colleges and Schools should set up Development Projects and foster clubs for addressing the inner fears and concerns of learners infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
• There is need to establish modalities so that Teacher Training Colleges and Schools can easily access funds for the running of HIV/AIDS activities by setting their own medium term expenditures.

Ignorance is a major reason why the HIV/AIDS epidemic is out of control. The need for preventive education flows from the nature of the ignorance associated with the epidemic, particularly in the most affected developing countries. Most of those infected do not know it; there are widespread misconceptions about possible remedies; and there is sparse and ill founded knowledge about the disease itself, leading to prejudice and discrimination. Hence, preventive education is at the top of UNESCO’s agenda. Preventive education must make people aware of why and how they are at risk, and how infections can be reduced. However, knowledge is often not enough to change behaviours.

Preventive education must address mentalities and the culture within which they are embedded, in order to generate the attitudes, provide the skills and sustain the motivation necessary for promoting behaviour that reduces risk and vulnerability.

UNESCO’s priority in preventive education is directed towards five core tasks:

• Advocacy at all levels.

• Customizing the message.

• Reducing risky behaviour and vulnerability.

• Caring for the infected and affected.

• Coping with the institutional impacts.