Health Education in 20 Primary Schools in Cameroon

The Knowledge for Children Health Team recently held a series of workshops for our current Health Club Coordinators. One teacher and the community coordinator for each school in the Health Program were invited to one workshop. In total, we held two workshops for 2^nd and 3^rd year schools, and one workshop for new schools. The goals of the workshops included reiterating the Health Program goals, sharing monitoring and evaluation methods, and demonstrating interactive teaching strategies.

All three workshops included an introductory session on Ebola, which highlighted information on transmission, prevention, and treatment, as well as up-to-date statistics. The session also focused on how to pass on this relevant information to Health Scouts and communities. Each of the three workshops additionally featured sessions on the importance of assertive communication of accurate information, particularly in relation to sexual reproductive health education. The KforC Health Team used sketches to depict inefficient and passive teaching methods compared to effective and engaging teaching methods.

2^nd and 3^rd Year Workshops:

The KforC Health Team held one workshop at the Council Hall in Ndu for schools far from Kumbo, and one workshop at the Himalayan Institute in Kumbo for those schools close by. The morning of the workshop consisted of a review of the Health Club objectives, monitoring and evaluation protocols, and how to encourage the club’s President and Vice President. The afternoon sessions were more interactive, with a focus on engaging teaching methods, games, effectively using HIV action readers, and planning for sensitization events like World AIDS Day.

The Health Team encouraged each school to plan their own event for World AIDS Day based on the needs of their own communities. The coordinators finished the workshop by writing a draft plan for their own event, including what they will do, who will be involved, when and where the event will take place and their unique community event objectives. For example, some communities were planning a sensitization event in their market through the Health Club performing songs, sketches, and poems.

1^st Year Workshop:

The new Health Club coordinators were invited to Kumbo to participate in their first ever Health Program workshop. The main focus at this workshop was to familiarize the new coordinators with their roles and responsibilities within the Health Program. The workshop began with a detailed description of the Health Program, including the program’s origin, policy of implementation, monitoring and evaluation guidelines, and outline of each of the three years in the program. We continued with a session on the Health Club Teacher’s Manual and Health Club Diary, both important tools in the Health Program. The recently revised manual includes sections dedicated to icebreakers, basic hygiene, Malaria, HIV/AIDS, condoms, reproductive health, sexually transmitted diseases, and role-plays. With a focus on interactive teaching methods, each section includes multiple sessions in the form of games, activities, sketches, and discussions.

 After the lunch break, the new Health Club Coordinators were invited to sessions completely focused on interactive learning and fun in clubs. The afternoon sessions went into detail on how to utilize the HIV Action Readers, how to play games while maintaining the educational aspect, and how to share sensitive information with pupils in an assertive, effective manner. The workshop ended with an informative discussion about teaching sexual reproductive health and sexually transmitted diseases with youth.

 Conclusion:We had every school in the Health Program represented by at least one of their coordinators. The KforC Health Team is extremely pleased with the positive turn out and we believe the coordinators in attendance will pass on the information to their counterparts in their respective communities. Thanks to active participants, all the workshops were very engaging and resulted in interesting and interactive discussions. We are excited to see the progress of the Health Clubs during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Appreciation:The KforC Health Team would like to extend gratitude to all those who have provided both financial and moral support to our program. We would not have access to the schools and resources without it. We are making real progress with the Health Clubs and we hope to continue the positive work.