Go Getters clubs

The Go Getters are run by peer educators trained by Population Services International (PSI) who impart life skills, raise risk perception of HIV/AIDS infection, cultivate confidence and self-esteem and encourage young girls to look beyond short-term gratification to long-term goals and plans. The programme starts with the premise that the exchange of sex for a plate of chips or a mobile phone is not only degrading to women but is simply not worth the risk. The programme aims to help women become motivated, career-focused and goal-oriented women.

Fortnightly Go Getters club meetings follow an activities guide. Through these activities, girls are encouraged to discuss issues related to cross-generational sex and to appreciate the risks they pose both in terms of health and the attainment of their goals. Monthly talks and presentations are held using successful, local women from various professional backgrounds to give the girls tangible evidence of what they can achieve and tips on how to do it.

The programme lobbies local businesses to provide internships for the members of these clubs. Girls are placed according to their ambitions to provide extra motivation for them to focus on their long-term goals.

Rights, Women, HIV/AIDS, Gender, Health

The programme organisers say: “Although still in its initial phase, the Go Getters clubs have received an overwhelmingly positive response, particularly from university administrations that acknowledge this as a critical intervention to counter a growing trend among their female students.”