Challenge 8
Motivating peer educators or IPC facilitators can be challenging
Some IPC and peer education programs compensate their facilitators with salaries or stipends; other programs rely on volunteer support.
Strategy
If you rely on volunteers, consider ways to motivate and reward them without relying on monetary compensation. Paying volunteers may be expensive and may attract helpers for the wrong reasons. Sometimes, certificates, ID cards displaying the volunteers’ roles, regular meetings to celebrate their good work, t-shirts and/or regular training can all motivate volunteers and make them feel valued.
Other strategies that can keep volunteers motivated include:
- Reimbursing travel expenses
- Organizing competitions between groups of volunteers to motive them to succeed in their activities
- Asking peer educators what would motivate them