Capacity building and networking: let’s make it fun at the same time!

We agree that it is important to create a network among young people to promote youth SRHR. First of all, the initiation process could be finding common goals to work together. Early this January, youths from  Indonesia Planned Parenthood Associations (IPPA)  ,  with other youth led organizations in Jakarta such as Women Journal Foundation  and Independent Youth Alliance  organized a joint capacity building in SRHR for young people in Jakarta area. The capacity building was targeted to Indonesian Youth Conference, a youth led community which has annual conference for young people from cross sectional field.

The capacity building was divided into four sessions: SRHR, Gender and Sexuality, Reproductive Health, and HIV AIDS and STI. In this occasion, all the participants and facilitators were young people, it very fun without fear of being negative labels. A lot of topics were raised  such as same sex marriages, safe abortion, access to contraception for youth, and even the issue of sex workers.

This capacity building is not only a place to learn but also to build linkages and network! Every year, Indonesian Youth Conference holds a conference that is attended by thousands of young people and is a very strategic avenue  to build their capacity as a community in SRHR. We do agree that this activity should be replicated in other places which youth led initiatives are present. What do you think?  😀

Photos by: Agung Pambudi

Youth involvement on SRHR in emergency situation

SRHR is not limited only to a peaceful environment, it must also be available during emergency situations. On 18^th December 2011 at Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, hundreds of people in the northern island of Mindanao were killed by flash floods caused by heavy rains brought by typhoon Sendong. In this tragedy, young volunteers from FPOP (Family Planning Organization of the Philippines) shone and gave their support to the survivors.

Volunteers of FPOP served 23 evacuations sites in Cagayan De Oro. They are the reasons why a lot of pregnant and lactating mothers who were affected by Typhoon Sendong are now using Hygiene Kits and Clean Delivery Kits because this group of great young volunteers of FPOP tirelessly helped in the distribution of Kits in every Evacuation Camps in Cagayan De Oro.

“Whatever Gender I have, in time of crisis I will surely help those in need.” verbalized by one of the Youth Volunteers in this photo. They were doing Needs Assessment on Sex and Gender Based Violence in the Evacuation Camp.

Youth in Action: Taken from one of the Evacuation Camps, Youth Volunteers doing Focus Group Discussion among target young people aged 10 – 24.

What else can you do during emergency times in relation to SRHR? 😀

Linking sexual and reproductive rights and youth mobilization, how could that be?

What is the first thing comes to your mind when we speak about sexual and reproductive rights? When we refer to the concept, it could be very conceptual and unpractical, do you agree? We have conducted a capacity building with youth from Indonesia Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPA) and discuss a lot of hot spot issues in sexual and reproductive rights and youth mobilization!

The training was held on 11 and 12 January 2012 and each day there’s a focus on the training. On the first day, we discuss about safe abortion, same sex marriages, female circumcision, condom access for young people aged 10-17 years old, and sex workers! And guess what, the discussion becomes even hotter during the sessions and we have jump into conclusion; no matter what your personal value is, when you commit to work in SRHR field, you have to treat other people with rights-based perspective and leave the choice to them.

On the second they, the discussion was on building the organizational capacity of youth within IPPA. We mapped the participation of young people within IPPA, analyze on how we can move as youth within organization, and how to link IPPA with other youth led organization or communities in Indonesia. Based on the Flower of participation model by Choice, the analysis on the level of participation of youth in the youth center and clinic in  IPPA Jakarta Chapter can be a good example in which meaningful youth participation and youth adult partnership has been achieved. Youth in IPPA Jakarta Chapter has high responsibility within the organisation where they are given spaces to initiate their idea, and their idea are shared with the adult volunteers and staff once they are planning to make any decision. It is interesting to know how this process happened and perhaps can be a good model to be replicated in realising youth adult equal partnership.

It was found that youth in IPPA has conducted various activities and made a lot of progress in working with marginalized youths.  However, their initiative and activities are rarely documented to be read by young people or relevant people.  Most of their work goes into project report.  Well, how do you respond to this challenge to have a documentation process and to make these documents accessible to young people and all?

Investing in young people’s capacity building on SRHR!

To ensure meaningful and effective youth participation in SRHR movement, it is important to build youth’s capacity particularly within issues and how to manage the organization’s sustainability. Japan Family Planning Association on 23-24^th December 2011 conducted a training and exchange meetings with peer counsellor across Japan. This national convention was held to increase young people’s skills in doing peer education for adolescents.

The two-day training was filled with training talks  and contraceptive exhibition. There were about 100 people participating in this training. Besides getting training, they also presented their work in youth center  in each province and shared their common goals to move forward as a part of JFPA.

It was interesting that the participants also distributed educational materials such as brochure on STI, Dating Violence, and condoms at the end of the training!

Do you have plans to conduct training with young people on  SRHR ? What material that you would like to be integrated within the training? Do tell us! 😀

Filitonu: Educating young people on SRHR through drama performance

Young people are vulnerable group of people in terms of having access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information and services. Although there are  many  efforts  taken to address this problem, but have you ever considered that drama performance could be a powerful tool in helping young people to realize the importance of them having accurate knowledge and access to SRHR?

Filitonu, formed since year 2000 is a drama group which is a part of the Adolescent Reproductive Health project by Tonga Family Health Asscotiation (TFHA), Member Association of IPPF ESEAOR,. Filitonu means ‘right choice’ in Tonga language. The drama group delivers performances to Tongan schools and communities that explore issues affecting young people: sexual health, violence, teen pregnancy, and alcoholism. They also perform entertainments at variety of  local events to raise young people’s awareness on SRHR!

Filitonu is led by young people and open for young people who is interested to join! So far, Filitonu had run some programs both internally and externally. Here are some of them:

Drama Training

A few months ago, Filitonu received a training in drama, from a troupe of New Caledonian actors from Pacifique et Compagnie. The training focused on making every movement a choice, building characters and improving improvisations. These skills will help Filtonu’s ability to make quality performances, capable of educating audiences about STIs, Family Planning and other issues such as Domestic Violence, Teenage Pregnancy and Responsible drinking.

World no tobacco day

Filitonu visited schools around Tonga’s capital city, Nuku’alofa, to perform dramas, songs and information about tobacco. The drama taught student about the negative effects of smoking and its legal consequences for youth under 18  purchasing cigarettes

World Health Day

For this day, Filitonu created a movie titled “DOCDOR SAID”. The project is a joint project with other organization related to health issues. In this day, Filitonu got a chance to entertain the Minister of Health ‘Uliti Uata during lunch time refreshment with some songs.

World AIDS Day

AIDS is a global matter and have a strong connection to young people. The Filitonu drama group performed dramas about HIV AIDS during World AIDS Day. They performed to a full house, showcasing their repertoire of dramas that promote a healthy lifestyle and healthy sexual choices. “Use a condom, don’t use me!” said Filitonu performer, Sefa Tuita.

What do you think of their programmes? We agree with Filitonu group in promoting SRHR awareness through  drama. Don’t you feel that  issues related to SRHR in real life is also full of dramas? Why don’t we  encourage  SRHR & HIV AIDS awareness reaching young people in a creative way with positive messages? 😀 You can learn about and follow filitonu in this link!

Join their page on facebook

Follow them on twitter

Enjoy their blog!