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NAIROBI, Kenya, July 21, 2005 — PSI/Kenya's "Nimechill" youth abstinence campaign, the first of its kind in the country, has became so popular that the phrase "chilling" has been incorporated into the language and culture. Reports also show that almost half of youth surveyed had been exposed to the campaign, and those exposed to the campaign's empowering messages were more likely to believe in their own ability to abstain than those who did not see the campaign. The campaign seeks to delay teen sexual debut by changing social norms and reducing peer pressure, creating stigma regarding irresponsible, early sex among youth and making abstinence a "cool", smart and responsible choice. The campaign is funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through USAID. A cartoon logo of a yellow hand giving a "V" or a "peace" sign is used to brand the campaign, and the phrase "Nimechill," (Swahili-English slang meaning "I have chilled" or "I am abstaining") has become a powerful and instantly recognizable slogan. The logo was recognized by 85% of the target group (10- to 15-year-olds) and nearly two-thirds (64%) understood that "Nimechill" refers to abstinence from premarital sex, according to a national media evaluation survey conducted by PSI. Recent evaluation results of the campaign reveal that 42% of youth aged 10-14 had seen the campaign on at least one media channel (TV, radio, print, billboard, or poster) and an additional 44% had seen the campaign on three or more channels. A multiple regression analysis examining two rounds of surveys performed before and after the campaign revealed that youth exposed to three or more channels were twelve times more likely than youth who had not seen any Chill advertisements to strongly agree with the statement "I will abstain from sex until marriage." Youth exposed to one or two channels as well as youth exposed to three or more channels also scored significantly higher than unexposed youth in a separate regression analysis on a scale measuring respondents' beliefs in their own ability to abstain from sex. This means that despite variations in individual background, residence, religious preference, participation in other HIV/AIDS educational programs and access to media, exposure to the Chill campaign was strongly and statistically related to positive beliefs and attitudes toward abstinence from premarital sex. The phrase "Chill" has become so catchy that a variety of politicians and influential public leaders have been photographed with groups of youth raising the "V" or "Chill" sign. Mini-buses, often colorfully decorated with pictures of international music and sports stars, have taken the initiative to commission their own Chill logos for placement on their vehicles. In addition, entrepreneurs have manufactured their own Chill bumper stickers and regularly sell them for their own profit in bars and petrol stations around Nairobi. During the campaign, articles on youth and "chilling" regularly appeared in the national newspapers and weekly discussions about "chilling" took place both formally and informally on the radio. The tone of the campaign, which targeted 10- to 15-year-old boys and girls living in urban and peri-urban areas, was designed to be empowering, hopeful, optimistic and future-oriented. Teens aged 14-16 were used in the television commercials as inspirational but realistic role models. PSI/Kenya successfully launched the campaign in September 2004 on TV, radio, billboards, print and posters and also sponsored "The Beat," a top-rated daily music video program on Nation TV. PSI sponsored several youth events and gave away T-shirts which read "young, beautiful and chilling" or "handsome, intelligent and chilling." — Dr. Gwendolyn Morgan, PSI/Kenya
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