The World Starts with Me (WSWM) is a digital learning environment about sexual health education, AIDS prevention and creative ICT skills for young Ugandans. The program is for both schoolgoing young people and early school leavers. They are reached through 52 online schools and Telecenters around Uganda to be followed by networks in Kenya and Tanzania. WSWM combines sexual health education with creative ICT education using an experiential learning approach in order to make sexual health education and HIV/AIDS prevention training:

• more real (real life examples young people can relate to)
• useful (skills for job opportunities)
• appealing (creating your own expressive digital works)
• comprehensive (complete sexual and reproductive health and rights content)
• effective (researching and developing your own point of view)

The meta-goal is to give young people self-confidence and control over their own lives.

WSWM is a full curriculum in sexual health and HIV/AIDS awareness. There are 14 lessons for which learning targets, assignments, warm-ups, presentations, games, tools, guidelines and stories are all available in students’ and teachers’ versions. There is a forum for both students and teachers to exchange tips and an online presentation section to upload works made in the program to the group website.

The lessons start with a theme based warm-up, followed by a presentation by Rose and David, the virtual peer educators. Rose and David are the main source of knowledge in this curriculum. The next step is often a game (like the body-change game, personality game, who’s responsible game, safe sex quiz, etc) which serves to help students internalize information or explore opinions. The next step and the main part of most lessons is the assignment. The assignment is always a creative ‘do’ activity, e.g. the students have to create a storyboard, art work or role play using digital means.

The whole approach is new in the field of sexual and reproductive health and aids awareness. This is needed because:

• there is a case of information fatigue; everyone knows AIDS is out there and is tired of messages about staying safe coupled with much disinformation, and
• the root cause of many issues is poverty.

This program aims to address both these issues. The program is about each student exploring their own personal ideas, attitudes and skills within the group, and developing them. The program is much more comprehensive in scope than straightforward AIDS awareness work, dealing with issues such as teenage pregnancy and sexual abuse, which are often of greater concern. The program has a positive attitude to sexuality and does not frighten young people with the dangers of sex or tell them it’s wrong, but encourages them to enjoy sex in a responsible way. Lastly, by integrating active ICT skills, students become PC literate which can contribute to their future chances.

There is a great need here, as the following examples demonstrate:

• The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Uganda is extremely high; young people are disproportionately often infected and affected by HIV
• The teenage pregnancy rate is high (over 50% of girls become mothers before the age of 18)
• Although (or because) abortions are illegal, they are frequently carried out in unsafe conditions, often by young people.
• Sexual activity starts at a young age, between 10 and 14 years and is often enforced
• Contraception and condom use is low, as is adequate sexual health knowledge
• Skills are often lacking, poverty often leading to an offer of sex in exchange for goods or money
• Sexual intimidation by teachers is common (the second largest number of enforced sex situations)

Although Uganda started and education program in the early stages of the AIDS epidemic, current education is mainly restricted to AIDS prevention and is information-based.

The common goal of WSWM is to improve the sexual health of young people in East Africa while providing skills relevant to the job market.