Stepping Stones Plus : New Exercises and Sessions for Use with the Original Stepping Stones Training Manual

The original STEPPING STONES training package consists of a manual and video about HIV and AIDS, gender issues, communication and relationship skills. It is designed to help trainers and community members organise a workshop to enable women and men of all ages to explore their social, sexual and psychological needs, to analyse the communication blocks they face, and to practise different ways of addressing their relationships. Since 1994, when the original STEPPING STONES training package was designed, the development of antiretroviral drugs has transformed the lives of millions of people. HIV no longer needs to be a death sentence, provided people with HIV have access to good medical care and the right drugs, and receive the love, care, understanding and support of their families and communities. This is especially important for pregnant women. If a woman knows she is HIV-positive, she can be given drugs to avoid passing HIV on to her baby. But she must also feel supported, cared-for, respected and loved in order to feel able to ask for the right information, treatment and care from the health centre or hospital. STEPPING STONES PLUS aims to strengthen this aspect of the original training package.