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Consultant to Develop an Interactive HIV Prevention Card Game under the EmpowHER Fund
Introduction
Y+ Global is a worldwide network of young people living with HIV, dedicated to advocating for the rights of adolescents and youth to lead healthy, fulfilling lives. With over 6,000 diverse members, we amplify our voices and drive change on global, regional, and national advocacy platforms. Our mission is to mobilise young people living with HIV across the globe to promote our right to live healthy and fulfilling lives. We focus on empowering AYP on issues related to HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), self-care, mental health, and human rights, and more, while building their leadership capacity in these areas.
The EmpowHER Fund is a three-year project (2026-2028) funded by Aidsfonds, aimed at accelerating the rollout and accessibility of various HIV prevention methods for girls and women in Sub-Saharan Africa. In a region where young women face significant and intersecting challenges, our mission is to bridge the critical gap between available prevention methods and their actual accessibility.
Background
The HIV prevention landscape has significantly evolved in recent years, introducing innovative solutions that have the potential to transform women’s health outcomes. Breakthrough technologies, such as the daily oral PrEP pill, the monthly Dapivirine vaginal ring, two-month injectable cabotegravir, and upcoming long-acting innovations like Lenacapavir (administered twice a year), Apretude (every two months), and the dual prevention pill, offer transformative opportunities to reduce HIV infections among girls and young women. However, significant obstacles regarding accessibility remain.
Despite these advancements, access to these methods is deeply uneven. Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) continue to face major barriers in accessing the full range of HIV prevention options. At the community and individual levels, they encounter additional challenges, including stigma, limited awareness, restrictive gender norms, and a lack of financial and social support. These barriers are compounded by intersecting vulnerabilities such as criminalisation, exclusion from services, and safety risks associated with poverty, sex work, drug use, sexual orientation, or gender identity. In many settings, healthcare workers are not adequately trained or informed about newer prevention methods, which reduces the quality of counselling and service delivery.
These challenges are occurring against the backdrop of a difficult funding and political environment. Significant cuts to HIV prevention and advocacy funding, including a sharp reduction in support previously provided by the U.S. government, have further weakened already strained health systems and decreased resources for community-led advocacy. At the same time, conservative political shifts and male-dominated decision-making spaces continue to deprioritise the health and rights of girls and women. Consequently, healthcare access remains limited, and stigma prevents many from seeking the prevention services they need.
The EmpowHER CHOICE consortium, led by Y+ Global, comprises women- and youth-led organisations in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa to contribute to the implementation and advancement of the EmpowHER Fund project objectives.
Objectives
Y+ Global is seeking a qualified consultant to help accelerate the rollout and accessibility of new groundbreaking HIV prevention methods for girls and women in Sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this consultancy is to co-create, prototype, and pre-test a contextually relevant, user-centred HIV risk-assessment card game with and for AGYW under the EmpowHER CHOICE consortium. This game is designed to enhance their understanding of personal HIV risk, help them navigate prevention options, and enable them to make informed, autonomous decisions.
Drawing from the project’s focus on addressing low risk perception, misinformation, stigma, and limited decision-making power among AGYW, the consultant will facilitate participatory design processes to develop an engaging, gamified tool that translates complex prevention information (e.g., condoms, oral PrEP, PEP, vaginal ring, CAB-LA, Lenacapavir, and emerging options) into relatable, scenario-based learning experiences.
Scope of work
The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:
- Lead a participatory co-creation process with AGYW and key stakeholders to design a user-centred HIV risk-assessment card game that accurately reflects real-life risk scenarios, prevention choices, and contextual barriers.
- Develop a prototype of the game, including its content, rules, facilitation guide, and integration of HIV prevention options (e.g., PrEP, PEP, condoms, long-acting methods) aligned with the CHOICE project’s objectives for prevention literacy and decision-making.
- Facilitate iterative pre-testing sessions in safe-space settings with AGYW to evaluate the game’s usability, comprehension, cultural relevance, and engagement. Refine the tool based on the feedback received.
- Ensure the game effectively supports peer-led education by incorporating behaviour-change approaches that enhance AGYW's risk perception, confidence, and ability to make informed decisions about HIV prevention.
- Document the design and testing process, including key findings, and deliver a final, validated card game package. This package will include a facilitator guide and recommendations for integrating the game into program activities such as community dialogues, training sessions, and outreach efforts.
Key Deliverables
1. Inception Report
- A detailed methodology that outlines the co-creation approach, participant engagement plan (focusing on Adolescents and Young Girls and Women, or AGYW profiles), facilitation tools, ethical considerations (including consent and safeguarding), and a workplan with timelines and milestones.
- A facilitator guide for the AGYW co-creation session.
- A workshop agenda and activity tools (including scenario mapping and risk profiling exercises).
- Documentation of AGYW inputs, including themes, lived experiences, risk contexts, and decision-making barriers.
- A minimum of 40–60 cards across various categories (e.g., risk scenarios, prevention options, decision prompts, and myth-busting cards).
- Game mechanics and rules outlining the turn structure and scoring/decision pathways.
- A visual and content layout in a print-ready draft format.
- A draft facilitator guide or instructions on how to run the game during dialogues and training sessions.
- Deliver a fully validated, implementation-ready package including the final card deck in print and digital formats.
- Deliver a finalised facilitator manual and integration guidance for community activities.
- Conduct one virtual training session for consortium partners, along with all necessary training materials and facilitation tips.
Eligibility and Qualifications
- A minimum of five years of proven experience in HIV and SRHR programming, particularly focused on AGYW and prevention-focused interventions.
- Demonstrated expertise in participatory and co-creation methodologies, including human-centred design, youth engagement, and community-led tool development.
- Strong experience in developing behaviour change communication (BCC) tools or edutainment products (such as games, toolkits, and training materials) aimed at health or social impact programs.
- A solid understanding of the HIV prevention landscape, including combination prevention approaches (such as condoms, oral PrEP, PEP, vaginal ring, CAB-LA, and emerging options) as well as the barriers to uptake among AGYW.
- Experience in conducting user testing, piloting, and iterative design, including data collection, analysis, and tool refinement based on feedback.
- Proven ability to design and facilitate interactive workshops and training sessions, particularly with youth and community groups in safe, inclusive, and trauma-informed settings.
- Strong skills in documentation, reporting, and knowledge product development, including the production of clear, structured deliverables and user-friendly guidance materials.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; experience in multicultural and multi-country contexts is a significant advantage.
- Ability to work independently, manage timelines, and deliver high-quality outputs within a remote, multi-stakeholder project environment.
Project Schedule and Financials
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The consultancy is scheduled to take place during the following period:
- Commencement Date: 5th June 2026
- Completion Date: 5th July 2026
- Allocated Budget: USD 3000 is available for this assignment
Reporting
The consultant will work with the EmpowHER Fund team at Y+ Global, including the Project Officer and Project Assistant, as well as the EmpowHER CHOICE Consortium partners
Application Process
Interested candidates with the appropriate qualifications and experience are invited to submit the following documents:
- Curriculum Vitae (maximum of 3 pages)
- A cover letter outlining your motivation for the position (1 page)
- Samples of previous work completed
- Email your application with the subject line [NAME_EmpowHER_ Game Design_Consultancy] to ijebet@yplusglobal.org
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