AYOMI
Adolescents and young people in Aceh have long been under significant pressure and stress, even prior to the earthquake and tsunami disaster. The youth have been living within a 30 year civil war, which ended in 2005.
The data about young people in Aceh is limited, however, research has shown that 43% of high school students are sexually active and 11% male high school students have had sex with a sex worker in the last 12 months. Syariah Law and conservative expectations on the young people in Aceh make it difficult for young people to access sex education in schools. Condom access and use in Aceh also very low.
Despite the HIV rate in Aceh being low, the data from YAKITA clinic shows the increasing rates of STIs among young people in Aceh.
AYOMI, a youth organization established in 2004 has reached thousand of young people group in Aceh on HIV, AIDS, STI and substance abuse issues. We have trained 350 young people, and have focused our education on those from marginalised groups with limited access to health service, such as transgendered people, inmates, sex workers and street children. The peer education has reached more then 8000 other young people on HIV and AIDS issues.
In order to provide a holistic service, we collaborated with YAKITA to establish the first Youth Friendly Clinic and Recovery Center for drugs addicts in Aceh. AYOMI also successful brings the issue of young people's health to the Aceh government.
Working closely with The Nossal Institute for Global Health and University of Melbourne, AYOMI has strengthened the health program for young people in Aceh. Currently, there are 11 public health centers in Aceh implementing counseling and treatment designed to be more friendly for young people.
This video developed by AYOMI shows a youth clinic in Aceh: