Lifeskill,Sexuality Education for 1000 girls-India

Lifeskill, Sexuality Education for 1000 girls-India

Update November 2019.

Last 3 months we have been concentrating on our lifeskill, sexuality education in the schools and in the community.   One of the recent developments is we have initiated a network of CSOs-Civil Society Organizations for SRHR-Sexual Reproductive Health Rights of adolescent girls.  24 NGOs from Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram district are members of it.   This helps us to reach to more adolescent girls.  We have organized regular slum and village level 'Snehidhi' adolescent girls meetings/workshops on lifeskill and sexuality education.  Nearly 300 girls benefitted from this activity. We have also organized parents meetings particularly mothers meeting to explain about the importance of sexual reproductive health education to adolsecent girls.  In addition to that we have also organized school level sexuality education programme, nearly 300 girls and 100 adolescent boys benefitted from these programmes.  Boys learned about sex, gender, gender discriminations, gender equality.   Many boys gave feedback saying that first time they are learning these things and their roles and responsibilities in creating gender equality environment at school and at homes.

In the rural area as part of the life skills adolescent girls learned about organic-kitchen gardens, nutrition and health.  They also learned computer skills 120 girls benefitted from these programmes.  After the training these girls with the help of their mothers created organic kitchen garden gardens in their homes. In the city because of financial constraints we could not continue the recreational learning centers and computer skill trainings.  Bu continued the weekend life skill and sexuality education workshops.  We could also get volunteers to in this programme.

Daan Utsav-Joy of giving week 2nd October - 8th October:  This year we become active in joy of giving activities, we have participated in several fund raising activities.  Even though we could not raise much funds it’s a rich learning experience for us. Snehidhi adolescent girl’s association members raised funds and materials and made 500 sandwiches and it is distributed among 500 old people, baggers, street children. This is rich experience for them because mostly our adolescent girls are at the receiving end and this experience of giving food to the needy people gave them an experience of joy of giving. 

16 days activism to eliminate violence against women are beginning on 25th November so a set of 15 girls were trained in street plays and folk arts like dance, music and songs. They will be involved in campaign activities during 16 days activism on eliminating violence against women.  on 17th November with the network members we organized an advocacy campaign activity to educate the public and policy makers about the importance of SRHR-Sexual Reproductive Health Rights in girls and women's empowerment.  A human chain and cultural activities were organized at the Besant nagar beach, Chennai.  It is being a Sunday hundreds of people watched and participated in our programme.

In general it is a busy eventful period, even with financial constraints we could carry on our activities with adolescent girls with their support.

 During this period our girls were very busy because of school openings and sending applications to collage. Last three month were very interesting period because of the advocacy activities during elections, Adolescent girls played an active rolr.

During this period Mr. Senthil form Amazon volunteered and conducted weekend lifeskill workshops for the adolescent girls. It is a 12 weekend days programme and 25 girls participated in this programme and benefitted.  This progrmme was conducted in our office premises. This life skill program includes Emotional quotient and intelligence quotient,10 important life  skills such as self- confidence, perfective thinking, communication, taking challenges, leadership gather information, body language, problem solving, critical thinking. He also discussed the purpose of life skill, objectives of life skill and type of life skill. In the purpose of life skill he explained how to develop positive social skill, work ethics, job interview skills, communication skill and how to solve stage fear. He told some motivational stories like life of Ms.Malala. All these sessions were very helpful for adolescent girls.

During this period more than 200 adolescent girls in slum were benefited our Sexual Reproductive Health Rights program. We also organize Peer Learning Training for 50 snehidhi leaders. After the training they teach what they learned to young adolescent in their slums.  As usual 50 leaders of Snehidhi group attended leadership training. Now  they  take responsibility to strengthen their 'Snehidhi' association at the local level. Executive committee members are very active and each leader takes responsibility of their own slum. For college education 14 girls were got sponsorship, it will help them to continue their education. 2 school drop-out were enrolled the regular school in Kannaginager.

In rural area also our coordinators provided life-skill sexuality education. More than 150 girls were benefited we have been continue our computer skill training and 12 girls benefitted. In general Snehidhi girls improved their skill in different ways. The participation of snehidhi girls in different forum were improved and after peer learning training, they have taken initiatives in organizing events, played the roles of trainer to help younger girls in their slums. They have set their future goal and we   have been motivate them to achieve their goals.

Every month we organized mothers’ meetings and discussed the importance of girls’ education, child marriage and sexual abuse of girl children. All the mothers are very much

Interested to continue their girl’s education. Financial constraints is the only problem for

them to continue their children’s education.

We also provided life- skill sexuality education and SRHR trainings in 5 Government schools. More than 1000 girls were benefitted. They aware about SRHR issues, they learned MHM-Menstrual Hygiene Management,  how to prevent sexual abuse, They also learned Preventive measures to escape from abuse. In our working area child marriage is increasing day by day so we have provided how to prevent child marriage conducting meetings for adolescent girls and women and the importance of eliminating child marriage and the benefits of marring after 21 years of age. For boys, we have provided gender sensitive trainings. More than 200 boys were benefited. They understand the women's issues, gender discrimination, importance of equality within the house and outside and how these discriminations affect the women and girl children within and outside house. We hope definitely it will reflect their life in future.

In general, it is a eventful period.  Our major problem is funds to continue our work with adolescent girls. Now we are active in 'Daan Utsav' or 'Joy of Giving' fund raising activities.