Youth Ambassador: Adolescents and Youth Programme

Anova is an NGO that empowers people and changes lives. Good health and quality of life is what motivates us to provide healthcare solutions and support for those who need it most. _

**Key Duties and Responsibilities**

**Health Promotion**
- Conduct age-appropriate adolescent-centered health talks to adolescents using existing IEC materials where available, in the facility and in the community
- Promote B-wise usage and sign up
- Educate adolescents on their health-related rights and responsibilities specifically around HTS, AYFS, SRH and PrEP
- Do practical demonstration on condom use, hand washing and other healthcare practices
- Conduct demand creation for outreach services and address barriers among youth to access contraceptives and GBV services

**Linkage to care of adolescent and youth**
- Serve as a contact person and navigator for adolescents accessing healthcare services
- Assist in creating awareness of CBO service packages, facilitate and strengthen referrals
- Promote the uptake of HIV-testing and linkage to care in adolescents and support them through the process
- Follow up to ensure clients attend their scheduled appointments
- Identify, recruit, and maintain clients into Youth Care Clubs and support groups within selected facilities

**Improving retention in care and virological suppression**
- Create a safe space for adolescents to discuss social and health-related issues affecting them
- Support disclosure and adherence and refer for disclosure those with poor adherence and unsuppressed VLs
- Recruit HIV positive adolescents & youth to youth care clubs (YCCs) and adult services
- Organisation and facilitation of Youth Care Clubs

**Health Facility Engagement**
- Form part of the multidisciplinary facility team and work with the teams to ensure that programme’s targets are met
- Participate on the Clinics’ Health Committee/Forum and represent adolescents in these forums
- Develop adolescent’s friendly forum where adolescent health opinions, concerns and expectations are taken into consideration
- Act as a voice for adolescents in the facility/community for HIV related issues
- Promote Adolescent and Youth Friendly Service Provision

**Community Engagement**
- Serve as a link between adolescents, local clinics, CBOs, and other health services within the community
- Under supervision, establish or strengthen links with schools and actively engage in outreach programmes
- Serve as youth representative for ANOVA Health Institute at various youth gatherings and platforms

**Administration**
- Keep an updated record of number of clients supported to HTS, tested, tested HIV + or HIV- positive, linked into care, etc.
- Keep records including heath education registers, agenda, and minutes
- Be available to work on weekends or Public Holidays at DoH facilities and at community level when required
- Manage project resources (airtime and data usage)
- Attend meetings as required

**Reporting**
- Keep an updated record of number of clients offered HTS, tested, tested HIV positive, linked into care, etc., in line with stationery used by DoH and Anova
- Adhere to DoH facility reporting format for data and report according to facility protocol
- Report monthly to Technical Advisor and ensure that youth data is included in Anova facility team report

**Minimum Qualifications, Experience and Skills Required**
- Completed Grade 12
- Local youth between 19 and 30 years of age
- Currently unemployed and not engaged in formal education
- Experience in public speaking and previous leadership roles an advantage
- Experience working with adolescents in facilities, community, or schools or former
- Experience as a LoveLife Groundbreaker, an advantage
- Ability to follow strict confidentiality requirements
- Ability to influence young people towards behaviour modification
- Good problem-solving skills
- Able to work independently
- Punctual, reliable, and organised
- Eager to work with young people
- Sensitivity to the specific needs of adolescents and young people
- Be a team player
- Strong communication and presentation skills
- Mobilisation skills
- Ability to establish trust and communicate effectively with adolescents
- Non-judgmental attitude
- Prior knowledge of HIV/AIDS and a recognised HIV counselling certificate would be a distinct advantage
- Ability to organise and present health education sessions
- Able to conduct life skills and HIV/AIDS-related discussion groups

In accordance with our Employment Equity goals and plan, preference will be given to suitable applicants from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 and subsequent amendments thereto.