Abstract: This research presents baseline findings from an intervention randomized at the classroom level in peri- urban secondary schools within the Durban metro area of KwaZulu-Natal, Province, South Africa – the “Siyakha Nentsha” program. The intervention is designed to provide vulnerable young people residing in poor, HIV/AIDS-affected communities with increased capabilities for building health, social and economic assets over the lifecourse. The strategic skills proposed are geared to help offer protective strategies against HIV and early pregnancy and to build economic assets. As the vast majority of adolescents in South Africa attend secondary school, this is an effective and replicable strategy for reaching a representative group and reducing the possibility of selection bias.