Paper short abstract:

This paper deconstructs the divergence between the social and sexual lives of young people living with HIV and dominant development discourses in a low income area in Kenya.

Paper long abstract:

In 2010 the desires and dreams were studied of young people between 15-19 years of age living with HIV in Kibera, Nairobi. Subsequently, a bridging and bonding workshop was organized to discuss the findings with some of them. They turned out to have similar dreams as young people elsewhere, actively longing for space, social life and (sexual) pleasure and had very specific ideas about their parenting roles. In 2012 a mapping was done to document services and support networks for the same young people. Fragmentation, paternalistic approaches and a intense focus on life-skills and theater seem to be products of a discourse seeing these young people as vulnerable only on account of their risky performance, HIV positive status and being poor: They are de-sexualized and de-pleasurised.

In this paper texts of young females and males on the one hand and the programmers on the other hand will be analysed, synthesised and discussed. In a world where the young people are gendered sexual beings confronted with many limitations and the fulfillment of their dreams it seems that new concepts and categories are needed to support or work with them, and by doing this transcending ideas of meaningful participation, risk, and ownership. All these have become hollow vessels as they are one-dimensional static concepts that are neither western nor African. The paper will attempt to come up with some new categories based on gender analyses and will pose questions on alternative methodologies of research and inguiry.