Physical Health Switzerland Project #19699

Give Childhood a Chance and Keep Youth Drug Free!

by International Blue Cross

Give Childhood a Chance and Keep Youth Drug Free!

Project Report | Jun 28, 2016
Children and Their Heroes

By Anne Babb | General Secretary IFBC

Giving Children a chance to choose drug and alcohol free childhood is not that easy. Child is completely powerless on the influence of big alcohol adverts. When they grow to teenage and they look for idols to relate to it is sad that their heroes are so often billboards for alcohol brands. It is proven that due to marketing, our children start using alcohol earlier, consumer more and die younger. The facts are clear. This is why together with a group of organisations International Blue Cross is promoting the #OutbidChang Campaign. We have noticed that most people feel the same – sports and alcohol should not be so strongly connected. However it is not easy to proclaim this publicly. Alcohol industry has managed to sell us the thought that individual must have a choice and we must not critic this. Now, I want to highlight that alcohol is not an ordinary product, it causes for example dependence, health harm and anti social behaviour. And it is up to us to do something about it!

Alcohol is a children’s health issue, it is a public health issue and we can speak up and criticise the powerful marketing and pressurised sales techniques. In recently visited Denmark and heard the concern of Blue Cross professionals that alcohol is not in a public health agenda. I see by visiting them that the political climate is controlled by their big money maker - alcohol industry and I can empathise how difficult it is to create stronger policy to protect children when for sure increasing the age limit from sixteen to eighteen would reduce consumption and limiting alcohol availability would also reduce sales and consumption. Denmark has serious problems with binge drinking youth, but it is the adults with decision making power who must make the policy changes if they want to see youth to reduce their drinking.

#OutbidChang is our campaign to send a powerful message around the world that enough is enough, that Big Alcohol needs to be stopped from targeting children and youth through sports, and that our children deserve better protection. Let’s make it possible for our youth to have heroes to follow without alcohol ads!

Attachments:

OutbidChang_leaflet_print.pdf (PDF)

1 Attachment

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Mar 29, 2016
A New Generation on the Rise

By Mischa Rychener | Fundraising Officer

Soccer provides meaningful after school activities

In Brazzaville a movement is growing – the youngsters are calling it GENERATION 5s. They have a dream to build a community “sans” (without) the biggest risk factors for premature death and disease: drugs, alcohol, violence, HIV/AIDS and discrimination.

The Blue Cross project partner in Brazzaville, ASUdh, uses Life skills lessons and after-school youth clubs as non-traditional education methods for teaching the skills and knowledge young people need to lead a healthy, active life.

Peer educators are the ones who teach the lessons to the students in schools. Peer education is based on role modelling and the ability of young people to become leaders and agents of change through empowerment and support. The Peer Educators engage students in a holistic approach to learn skills like communication, self-confidence, teamwork and discipline through sports, social activities and community engagement. The skills and knowledge, in turn, promote positive behaviour change and ultimately reduce alcohol and drug use – giving children and youth a chance at a healthy childhood.

One of the peer educators, T. SANKARA, told us: "The project has a remarkable impact since its beginning. The school was a place where violence was so common. We recorded many cases of fights and many problems here in the high school. With the arrival of the project, there has been the evolution of the mind of students who come from the school. Now there are changes, the school is in peace and especially quiet.”

By collaborating with the school administration and the local Ministry of Youth and Civic Education, ASUdh is reaching 2879 students with its life skills lessons with the hope to reach additional students and expand its Generation 5s movement to reach all the youth of Brazzaville.

A participating student, D. Sunil, told us: “Through this project, many students realized that the abuse of alcohol and drugs is harmful for us young people who have dreams to realize, and also for our parents. GENERATION 5s deserves the attention of the Congolese, and especially youth. I think in a few years we will have a GENERATION S 5 through the project!”

Help us spread the word and help us create this new GENERATION 5s around the world by donating to Give Childhood a Chance today!

Sans drogue
Sans alcool
Sans violence
Sans VIH/SIDA
Sans discrimination

Thanks for your support!

Role-play teaches about peer pressure

GENERATION 5s is cool!

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Jan 6, 2016
Alone in the streets - where to turn?

By Mischa Rychener | Fundraising Officer

L. Reuterberg (Swedish Blue Ribbon) visits Kisumu

At the International Blue Cross, much of our focus is on youth. We want to give children around the world to live a happy, healthy life free from addiction. In Kenya, life on the streets is hard for young children. To survive, many are forced to turn to drugs, crime and violence. There is a glimmer of hope if Kisumu, Kenya, for children who have nowhere to turn.

The Blue Cross Youth Centre runs a program for street children, many of whom are orphaned due to their parent’s alcohol or drug problem and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The team at Blue Cross Youth Centre takes the children under their wing and provides them with food, clothes, and the chance to go to school. They teach the children essential “life skills,” an innovative education approach designed to teach disadvantaged youth essential skills and knowledge such as confidence, decision-making, leadership and the risks associated with drugs and alcohol and HIV/AIDs. The team in Kisumu also organizes sporting events to promote exercise and teamwork, as well as and creative arts classes for the children to explore their artistic side.

The director of the Blue Cross Youth Center in Kisumu says, “We believe here at Blue Cross Kenya that every child needs a family and that is the basis of our support.” Whenever possible, the goal is to bring the children and their parents back together. “We believe that builds a common bond and bring the purpose of the family in unity – children together with their parents. When we bring a child back to their family and they are reunited, then there is a bonding and it is a complete healing for the child who was living in the streets.” Currently, the Blue Cross is assisting around 200 children.

Last year, Blue Cross Sweden collaborated with Blue Cross Youth Centre in Kenya to offer additional support to the hundreds of children who frequent the centre. We are happy to share the video that they produced in November 2015 called “The suitcase of Your Life,” which shows the colourful spirit of the children of Blue Cross Youth in our continued mission to give childhood a chance!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHQA-u7h4-0

Thanks for your support and the team at the International Blue Cross wishes you a wonderful 2016!

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