Description
Hungary has no known peer or public opinion leader practices mobilizing active intravenous drug users. Therefore the objective of the project is a new type of community building in the spirit of empowerment, the introduction of a peer-driven intervention model into the syringe-exchange programme of the organization. By involving intravenous drug users using either legal or illegal drugs, who are residents or dwell in District VIII or inner Józsefváros as peers, creating theme groups, choosing clients, training peers, the project will achieve its goals. Clients will gain knowledge that can be applied later on, outside the programme, too.
Summary of project results
There has not been any harm-reduction program in Hungary yet, which aimed to involve active injecting drug users as peers in order to give help to other drug users. Therefore the aim of the project was testing and setting-up a new, peer-driven intervention model in the needle-exchange program of Blue Point Foundation. The objective was to involve peers and to train them to be able to give help to other drug users, while they learn new skills and get new roles in their close environment. The impact and the main benefit was the involvement itself, and the changes made in the everyday work of the Foundation by the peers. They achived all the planned activities: selection,training, fieldwork. Unfortunately, the project promoter had to close the needle exchange program at same time as the peer project ended because of political attacks against the needle exchange. However, they intend to carry on the peer project in a different field - at the underground club scene among recreational drug users.
Summary of bilateral results