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Red Ribbon Club
 
Red Ribbon Club (RRC) program in Educational Institutions
Red Ribbon Club (RRC) Programme is a voluntary on-campus intervention, aimed at heightening the risk perception and preventing HIV among youth. Red Ribbon Clubs have become a powerful medium to reach out to young people. Spearheaded by the TamilNadu state AIDS Control Society (TANSACS), this programme is supported by the Higher Education Department with technical assistance from Centers for Disease Control and demonstrating the importance of inter-sector collaboration to address the issue of HIV / AIDS. RRC empower students in the age group of 17-25, by giving them information and life-skills to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and changing the most active among them into peer educators.
Objectives:
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To induce among youth the spirit to help and support people living with HIV/AIDS thereby reduces stigma and discrimination against PLHIVs.
Red ribbon To motivate youth and build their capacity as peer educators and change agents by developing their skills on leadership, negotiation, and team building.
Red ribbon To reduce HIV infection among youth by raising their risk perception through behaviour change communication
Red ribbon To prepare youth as peer educators and agents of change
Activities:
Red Ribbon Club programme with the objective of bringing about behaviour change in young minds employs various strategies like:
Red ribbon “10Hrs curriculam - Celebrating Life”
Red ribbon Peer education and leadership trainings
Red ribbon Cultural Competitions.
Red ribbon Interactions with positive people, Transgender, Injection Drug users, ICTC- Counsellors
Red ribbon Awareness campaigns (Rallies, Out reach activities)
Coverage:
The programme covers Arts and Science, Polytechnic and Engineering Colleges. Medical, B.ED, TTI Currently, Red Ribbon Clubs have been formed in 2337 colleges, reaching out to nearly 3, 40,250 lakhs students all over the state. It has a strong volunteer base of above 1, 50,000 students.
Out Come:
Red ribbon “Each One Reach Ten” – Through Peer Education
Red ribbon RRC are serving as an ideal social support platform for youth which is evident through:
 
The counseling services availed
Voluntary testing by youth for HIV and STD / STI
Increase in voluntary blood donation.
Registered 1, 00,000 Voluntary Blood Donors.
State level Youth Carnival with sports and Cultural competitions campaign covered 3.5lak youth at District level and 1.5lak youth at State level
Red ribbon With the effective implementation of the programme, the debate to include it as part of the mainstream curriculum has been initiated at the university level
 
Madurai Kamraj University include RRC as an extension activity as part V curriculum
Red ribbon Colleges have adopted nearby villages for care and support of people living with HIV / AIDS through Positive Response Clubs.
Life Skill Education Programme
Overview:

In Tamil Nadu the Life skill Education Programme (LSEP) in schools is being conducted through Directorate of Technical Education Research and Training (DTERT) to provide information on HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention in the context of growing up, and for imparting related life skills to students in all senior secondary schools in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society has been funding the LSEP since 1997.Every year.
Red ribbon More than 10,006 schools covered through LSE programme
Red ribbon More than 600 Faculty members of DIET (District institute of Education and Training) were trained.
Red ribbon More than 37,000 teachers trained in the schools 16, 37,621 students reached.
Aims:

Knowing about themselves, their adolescence and their sexuality, Learning basic facts on HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, Understanding the risks involved in substance abuse, Developing and reinforcing life skills that enable them to protect themselves, Dispelling myths and clarifying misconceptions, Finding ways in which they can help fight the HIV epidemic and encourage, Positive attitudes towards people living with HIV.
LSEP will ensure to:
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It is Provide accurate age appropriate information to young people in school on growing up during adolescence.

Red ribbon Make available basic facts on STIs and HIV transmission, methods of prevention and addressing common myths and misconceptions.
Red ribbon Provide information on substance use and the associated high risk behaviour, Reinforce existing positive behaviour and instill life skills to manage risk, cope/resolve with risky situations young people encounter in their lives).
Outcome:
Red ribbon Learners will be better informed on a range of issues related to adolescence, HIV, STIs, substance abuse, and mental health.
Red ribbon Learners will develop and strengthen existing life skills to deal with challenges in real life situations
Red ribbon Learners will have a supportive attitude towards people living with HIV and AIDS and will be motivated to be ‘agents of change’ in their community.