Education Mali Project #17568

Teen Peer Education in Mali

by GAIA Vaccine Foundation

Project Report | Nov 10, 2025
Education is the Key to Prevention

By Anja Schneider | Content and Community Manager

Education is a proven tool used to raise awareness regarding important issues, especially amongst young people. GAIA Vaccine Foundation has employed educational programs to address health issues affecting the youth of Mali- particularly adolescent girls, with the goal of equipping them with the knowledge they need to make informed healthcare decisions.

Our Born Free of HIV in West Africa Program revealed that most new HIV infections being reported were from teen mothers. This suggested that not only were teenagers at risk of pregnancy, but they were also at risk of acquiring an HIV infection.

We have been working to reduce the burden of infectious diseases, such as HIV infections and other STIs, through our Teen Peer Education Program. Peer-to-peer interactions are a crucial aspect for the success of youth education programs, and the assurance that information is accurately and engagingly portrayed to the students. These sessions also provide condoms and free HIV testing for attendees.

In time, we have hope that this program will continue to reduce the number of HIV+ girls in Bamako. These sessions reach both teens attending school, and those that do not, with the goal of encouraging participants to openly discuss the issues they face.

With a donation of $10, you would be sponsoring 2 teens in attending a single program session.

With a donation of $20, you would be sponsoring 4 teenagers as they attend one of our weekly discussion meetings.

With a generous donation of $50, you would be providing one of our HIV educator’s ENTIRE salary, ensuring they are present and able to support our program and its participants.

If you were to donate $75, it would be because of YOU that GAIA Vaccine Foundation is able to host an ENTIRE session, and provide potentially lifesaving information that the participants can take with them as they face the world.

We thank you for your continued support for GAIA Vaccine Foundation’s Teen Peer Education Program!

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Jul 15, 2025
Personal Empowerment Through Education

By Anja Schneider | Content and Community Manager

Access to education empowers the younger generation of Malians with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their body and futures. Our Teen Peer Education Program teaches young people about HIV, including information about transmission and prevention. The Teen Peer Education Program gives these young Malians invaluable knowledge regarding the steps they can take for their personal healthcare journeys.

The Teen Peer Education Program educates adolescent girls on the risk of HIV infections and unplanned pregnancy. Both HIV infections and unplanned pregnancy can result in social isolation in Mali, forcing young girls to drop out of school and losing important personal and financial support from family and friends. The Teen Peer Education Program strives to connect crucial information about personal healthcare with the younger generation of Malian women, so they are in control of their futures and wellness.

The Teen Peer Education program hires young educators, trained by HIV professionals, to foster more confident relationships between students and teachers during class sessions. The goal of each meeting is to host a safe and positive environment where students feel comfortable addressing personal issues and learning about potential risks they may face.

With a donation of $10, you would be sponsoring 2 teens in attending a single program session. With a donation of $20, you would be sponsoring 4 teenagers as they attend one of our weekly discussion meetings. With a generous donation of $50, you would be providing one of our HIV educator’s ENTIRE salary, ensuring they are present and able to support our program and its participants. If you were to donate $75, it would be because of YOU that GAIA Vaccine Foundation is able to host an ENTIRE session, and provide potentially lifesaving information that the participants can take with them as they face the world. We thank you for your continued support for GAIA Vaccine Foundation’s Teen Peer Education Program!

Links:

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Mar 19, 2025
Knowledge is the Key

By Anja Schneider | Content and Community Manager

Education is one of the key factors in protecting at-risk youth against the transmission of HIV, and studies have proven that adolescent girls are the most vulnerable sector for new HIV infections. Not only are young girls more susceptible to the transmission of HIV, they also risk other unintended consequences such as pregnancy, having to abandon their education, and losing crucial personal relationships. All of these together can create a financial burden as well. In order to protect the young population of Bamako against HIV and its aftermath, our team created the Teen Peer Education Program.

The goal of the Teen Peer Education Program is to provide a safe and positive environment where qualified healthcare professionals can teach the youth of Bamako, Mali about potential risks they may face. We also have teen educators, trained by adult HIV educators, to promote confident discussions about the adolescents’ wellness. Each session also provides condoms and free HIV- testing.

These weekly meetings reach young people that are in school, and those that are not. The program continues to promote open communication for youth about risks they may face, and encourage them to apply the information they learn to real life situations in order to avoid risky sexual encounters. In time, we hope to greatly reduce the number of girls who become HIV+.

With a donation of $10, you would be sponsoring 2 teens in attending a single program session. With a donation of $20, you would be sponsoring 4 teenagers as they attend one of our weekly discussion meetings. With a generous donation of $50, you would be providing one of our HIV educator’s ENTIRE salary, ensuring they are present and able to support our program and its participants. If you were to donate $75, it would be because of YOU that GAIA Vaccine Foundation is able to host an ENTIRE session, and provide potentially lifesaving information that the participants can take with them as they face the world. We thank you for your continued support for our Teen Peer Education Program, and are hopeful for the future of GAIA Vaccine Foundation.

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