Improving Adolescent Girls Access to SRHR

Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI) Calabar centre has for the past 12 years held an intensive outreach program for students and teachers within and around Calabar.The need to extend the training to the central senatorial district of Cross River State became apparent during field assessments GPI did of the implementation of the sexuality, family life and HIV/AIDS education (SFLHE) curriculum in schools in the state.

Young people, especially adolescent girls, face various challenges as they grow into adulthood. In order to cope with these challenges without falling prey to teenage pregnancy, violence and other exploitative situations during this phase of their lives, accurate information on SFLHE and life skills needs to be provided to adolescents. Their teachers and counselors also need information and skills to enable them relate well with the young people under their care.

GPI organized a 3-day intensive outreach program for students and teachers/counsellors on SFLHE from June 28 – 30, 2016 at Government Secondary School, 4-corners Ikom. Female students and their teachers and counsellors were drawn from 20 public and private secondary schools in Ikom and Etung local government areas of Cross River State. The objectives of training were to:

• create a safe space for the girls, teachers/school counselors to interact and learn from the experiences of other participants and trainers.
• increase their knowledge on SFLHE including other human rights issues and
• equip the students, teachers/counselors with life skills to manage the experiences and challenges of growing up.In attendance were 103 students and 34 teachers/counsellors. Topics covered by GPI facilitators for students weregender and leadership skills; communication skills; self-esteem and body image; career choice; rights and responsibilities; puberty and personal hygiene. Teachers/Counselors were trained on adolescent psychology; communications skills; gender roles; counseling; time and stress management using participatory methodologies.

At the end the programme, written and verbal evaluations with participants showed an increase in knowledge, personal development and life management skills. Participants will go back to their school communities and share the information they have gained with other students and teachers.