Sexual Health Outreach to 1000 youth in Uganda

 STF-NYC/GLOBEMED PROJECT REPORT

JULY TO SEPTEMBER 2012                 

24/09/2012

INTRODUCTION

 STF-NYC and GlobeMed at UCLA is partnering to implement sexual Health outreach project targeting 1000 youths in Northern Uganda in Nwoya District.

Project objective: To make an impact on the lives of over 1000 youth in Nwoya district by allowing general youth groups as well as special needs groups access to sexual health education, services and supplies.

 Specific objectives: To increase young peoples utilization of HIV prevention and other ASRH services at Nwoya youth Center in One year. To increase adoption of safer sex practices in adolescents through abstinence, condom use and reduced partners and faithfulness. To increase access to information and services for special needs groups in Nwoya district

Key Activities of the project

• Sanitary pads education and distributions.
• School sensitization outreaches on adolescent sexual reproductive health both in Primary and secondary schools.
• Gender structured talks (Boy/Girl Talk) for out of school adolescence.
• Games and sports (Youth friendly services).
• Condom awareness and distribution to young adolescents.
• Provide HIV prevention/ASRH to special groups (PWDs, Young positives, Young mothers etc)
• Goats Monitoring.

Project achievements

STF-NYC managed to reach out to a total of 2588 youths (Male =1323, Female = 1265).

• School sensitization outreaches to both Primary and secondary schools:

The center conducted a total of 41school outreaches and 15 community outreaches to sensitize youths on adolescence sexual reproductive health (ASRH) in Anaka and Purongo Sub-counties- Nwoya District.

 A total of 1105 adolescents were reached with ASRH messages (539 males, 566 females). Some of the topics discussed included safe male circumcision, Body changes, cross generational sex, drug abuse, gender based violence, teenage pregnancy and HIV prevention among others.

Quotes: I did not know how to use the disposable pads, I use to think it is sticked onto our private parts but now I can use it since I was educated on how to use the disposable pads, keep hygiene, signs and symptoms of menstruation. I’m very happy and remains committed in school since I no longer misses school as I used to, just because of menstruation. I can now make use of the local materials like piece of cloths, towels to help me during my menstrual periods. - Apiyo Lilian, 16years, P.6                                       

• Games and sports (Youth friendly services).

 STF-NYC organized 09 games and sports events both in schools and in the community and these attracted 791. These was done with the aim of mobilizing the youths and sensitize them on adolescent sexual reproductive health to help them make informed decision about their health and to help them avoid engaging into risky behaviors like drug abuse, Stealing, Disco dance, gambling among others but to take sports as a healthy productive leisure. For instance, the sports event (volleyball) played between the youths of Paduny and Anaka Town council attracted over 113 youths while the football match played between Coorom youths and Corner Nwoya attracted over 141 youth. The football match played in Alero attracted about 129 youths among others.

Quote: I used to be a daily member of malwa (a local brew) and I would not miss even a single day but my problem used to be in looking for money to pay for my daily share to allow me drink daily and sometimes I would steal money from home just to allow me drink in the evening…….;later on I realized it was very expensive for me (2000 @ day) but now through friends, I have now resorted to playing football every evening and this has helped me leave drinking, smoking and I know longer steal, very healthy and  happy that I can now play for my sub-county in big football matches whenever its organized. All these were attributed to by interactions with friends during sports and the educative sessions by the Nwoya youth center which helped me reform……….; said Kidega Gilbert, a 20 year old boy.

• Sanitary pads education and distributions: This was greatly welcomed by all the schools and the local leader since these has remained a big challenge much as only 80 young girls selected in the seven different schools benefited from the supply of the pads while the rest of the young girls both in school and the community benefited from the sanitary pads education as we could not supply to the whole population in the schools. A total of 289 girls benefited (this include the 80 girls given pads).

The 80 girls came from Kulamuka P.7, Bidati P.7, Alokolum Gok P.7, Aparanga P.7, Purongo P.7, Oruka P.7 and Gotapwoyo P.7 schools.

• Providing HIV prevention/ASRH to special groups: These activity targets specifically young positives, Persons with disability, child mothers among others. These has helped the special groups access health information and services easily and are able to express themselves freely unlike when they are put together with the general population. Some of the health information given includes; Prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT), Family Planning, Safe male circumcision, HIV counseling and testing, food and Nutrition etc.

A total of 108(Male=43, Female=65) special groups reached with HIV prevention messages and ASRH.

Quotes: ………….. my parents disowned me at the time I got pregnant when I was in primary five. They refused giving any assistance to help me and my child because I disappointed them, I really suffered and my child almost died of sickness and hunger. Later on due to hard life i was forced into prostitution to help me take care of myself and the child, I started selling in a bar .I knew I was risking from contracting HIV, pregnancy among others but what I needed was money to sustain us. I did this for two years. There come a time through a friend who heard of the services at the youth center, we started attending the child mother’s activity and was counseled at the youth center and now as I talked, the youth center linked five of us to be trained in hair dressing and others trained in tailoring. I can now do hair dressing to sustain me and the child instead of prostitution, however, I lack the items to help me start the business……………………; Irene Ajok

Condoms awareness and distribution to young adolescents: This activity has help youths know how they can use condoms correctly and consistently to guard against HIV and other STI’s (sexually transmitted infections). Here the youths are educated on how to use condoms through condom demonstration, condom awareness and condom distribution (needy youth). This is done both at the center and outreach centers to help reach out to youths in the villages. A total of 158 adolescent reach and benefited from condoms, (Male=100 and female= 58).

Quote: I am very much happy with STF in really creating a center were sexually active youths would access condoms and also giving us awareness on condom and its corrective/consistent use to help protect our lives from getting HIV/STI’s and un wanted pregnancies. I now urge other youths to take this advantage to come and support Straight talk-Nwoya youth center in the fight against HIV among the youths since we are the future generation to come ………Oryem Regan 23years old from Akago village anaka. 

• Gender structured talks (Boy/Girl Talk) for out of school adolescence. This activity is done both at the center and in the community and its done to encourage full participation of  both opposite sex in Sexual Reproductive Health since adolescents tend to shy and remain reserved when mixed together, this makes it difficult to understand the real issues affecting the Boys/Girls as they would be fearing one another. Therefore, adolescents are grouped  according to their sex and engaged into Boy/Girl talk were several topics are discussed, some of the topics discussed include; cross generational sex, HIV testing and disclosure, body changes, teenage pregnancy and ABC messages as a way of HIV prevention.

A total of 137 people reached in this activity. (Male=61 Female=78)

Quote: I am very pleased with this girl Talk discussion, I used to fear telling my friends about what i used to go through like itching private parts, experience with boys, menstruation. But now I am very free sharing with friends and this has given me new experiences and encouraged me on how to handle situations that comes my way like handling boys, body changes among others …………….Said (Aber Jennifer in Lamoki Village Anaka)

Monitoring goat’s project: this project benefited 20 young mothers and each received 2 goats both male and female. All these goats are healthy and doing well according to the previous report.

NB: We were not able to complete the goats monitoring by the reporting time and would now avail you with the goats report in two weeks time. Two of our staffs were away, Stephen is sick while Franka is for maternity leave.

These are the schools reached with STF/NYC-GLOBEMED project in Anaka and Purongo Sub-counties. A total of 20 schools.

Schools in Purongo Sub-county.

S/N                   NAME OF SCHOOL                   PARISH

1                     PURONGO P/S                           PAWATOMERO

2                       PUROPBGO HILL P/S               PAWATOMERO

3                    APARANGA P/S                          PAROMO

4                       PARAA P/S                                  PABIT

5                       WII ANAKA P/S                          PABIT

6                       OLWIYO P/S       &nbs

Outreach to Persons with Disabilities

ASRH Outreach to Schools

Sports and Games

Nwoya Youth Center Staff

Apiyo Gloria: Sanitary Pad Beneficiary

Links:

• GlobeMed Network
• GlobeMed at UCLA