Extending HIV/AIDS-prevention efforts in Kenya: primary schools as community-based organizations

The question of whether primary schools in Kenya can take on community-based activities beyond their day-to-day functioning, emerged from a larger HIV/AIDS education and prevention program—Primary School Action for Better Health (PSABH). The methodology involved both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative component was based on 163 schools, which were involved in the larger PSABH program. Qualitative analysis was based on consultative meetings with twenty key informants and follow-up focus-group discussions with representatives from eight schools involved in community-based activities. The results suggest that in this context schools have strong community ties, with most of them willing to take up community-based organization (CBO)-related activities beyond their day-to-day functioning. Schools were more likely to take on CBO-related activities, such as support for orphans, if they had a higher proportion of female teachers, a school sponsor that was involved in the selection of the head teacher, more Parent Teacher Association meetings, and if HIV/AIDS was incorporated into community festivals. A school’s involvement was reinforced if it performed well in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination, if the school’s head teacher was committed, and if most of the teachers were from the local community. Despite several challenges, the findings point to the need to take schools seriously in their duty as CBOs which can have a positive impact in mitigating not only the effects of HIV/AIDS, but also other community-development activities in ravaged sub-Saharan African countries. The proposed expansion of PSABH further puts Kenyan schools in a stronger position to be involved in their communities through CBO-related activities.