Improving Adolescent Girls Access to SRHR

GPI Calabar centre has graduated over 1,500 girls from her weekly adolescent sexuality and reproductive health and rights (ASRHR) lessons in the past two decades. Aside personal development, these girls are now applying their knowledge and skills for the development of organizations serving humanity. GPI Calabar has engaged some girls as volunteers for over two years and they have provided immense support to ensure the success of the weekly safe space programme. Some girls who were trainees at the centre some years back are now part of the team of facilitators who prepare girls aged 10 – 18 to make informed life decisions and become useful to the society.

These girls who before they enrolled in GPI had ASRHR knowledge and life management skills gaps, have in creative ways applied and imparted acquired knowledge and skills to contribute to achieving the mission and objectives of the organization. In the process, they have learned several skills including leadership, communication, administrative, computer and team building skills. This is a summary of learning experiences of four GPI alumni young adults who are serving as volunteers and are passionate about developing young girls.

GLORY is a vibrant and talented young woman who graduated from GPI in 2007.She serves in the Media & Advocacy and Accounts Department. She also facilitates weekly lessons for a group of 37 GPI girls and provides support in planning and implementation of activities, project execution team (PET) and office management committee (OMC) meetings as well as report writing. She has volunteered for 18 months. Amidst the challenges she faces while serving she has this to say “I can now chair general meetings like PET and OMC comfortably well; I have gained the virtue of patience especially sourcing for discussants for the television programme and working on the accounting documents.”

ANNE graduated from GPI in 2007. She has served in the Entrepreneurship/Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Department for nine months. She collates technical information in the unit and facilitates sessions of weekly lessons for a group of 40 girls. She chairs PET and OMC meetings and write reports when assigned. She has recorded tremendous improvement in several areas as she testified:

“I have improved on my reporting skills through the Sunday and some of the activity reports; ……my facilitation skills through facilitation of Sunday weekly lessons;….my planning skills through planning of graduation/public enlightenment ceremonies and my interpersonal skills through interaction with colleagues and the girls in the group.”

She also said “I have learnt how to prepare budgets, effectively plan and work in teams.”

OBO has served in the Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Entrepreneurial Skills Department for six months and provides support in the Monitoring & Evaluation unit. She graduated from GPI in 2004 and currently facilitates sessions of weekly lessons for a group 30 girls. She is also involved in schools outreach programs. She shares her learning experience at GPI thus:

“I am working on my reporting skills and have improved communication skills, as I can make contributions at meetings effectively and making sure that my message is clear and understood; …effective public speaking skills, as I can now give reports and make presentations comfortably e.g. presentation of minutes at PET and facilitation of weekly meetings; ... typing and basic formatting skills as I can now type and edit all the reports written by me; …..creativity, as can now explore variety of facilitation methodologies.                                                                                                                                                                                                        

ABIGAIL volunteers for the Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Entrepreneurial Skills Department. She graduated from GPI in 2013 and has provided voluntary services for the past one year. Also she facilitates sessions of weekly lessons for a group of 30 girls and is involved in outreach activities in schools. She has this to share:

“I can now write reports; make suggestions and inputs on matters arising during meetings; facilitate Sunday weekly lessons; chair meetings like PET and OMC comfortably as well as work under pressure and independently.”

These young women have sacrificed their time and energy to promote the rights of girls and contribute to the strategy and development of GPI. They have left their footprints on the sands of time. GPI Calabar definitely counts on them as well as others who have benefited from the programme to achieve set objectives and goals.