Where do we start? Using collage to explore very young adolescents' knowledge about HIV and AIDS in four senior primary classrooms in KwaZulu-Natal.

This paper focuses specifically on the needs and concerns of 'very young adolescents' who as defined by the Population Council are young people aged between 10 and 14 years. The title of this paper, 'Where Do We Start?', acknowledges that attitudes towards and knowledge of HIV and AIDS are best looked at in a situated way. We look at classes of sixth-grade students from four quite different cultural contexts within the province of KwaZulu-Natal: a deeply rural school made up of black students; a township school again made up exclusively of black students; and two more urban and affluent schools, one a public school made up primarily of white and Indian students, and one faith-based school which, while made up of various racial and ethnic groups, is predominantly white. The paper maps out ways of using arts-based approaches with young people so that they are positioned in engaging and participatory ways. It is argued that 'one size does not fit all' when it comes to planning HIV and AIDS interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]