YONECO reached out to over 2,000 young people with Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) information at the Muhlakho wa Alhomwe Cultural Festival in Mulanje district.
Culture is one of the key factors that have either a positive or negative impact on young people’s SRH outcomes. Thus, taking advantages of this year’s theme which revolved around empowering young people, YONECO deployed its youth workers to provide comprehensive SRH information to the young people at the function.
Among other things, YONECO participated in the Youth Conference whereby a number of Lhomwe young people from various districts were engaged in various issues ranging from entrepreneurship, discussions about culture and identity to sexual reproductive health issues.
Further to this, YONECO further engaged the youth during other side events like sports and game stints that were specifically organized for the youth.
“The engagement was so vigorous and the enthusiasm of the youth really demonstrated how hungry the youth are for correct sexual reproductive health information”- Hughes Munthali, YONECO Helpline Services Manager.
YONECO firmly believes that some negative SRH outcomes among young people are to a larger extent a result of lack of correct information and sex and sexuality issues. Thus, the institution utilizes various platforms to ensure that the youth are being reached out to with comprehensive SRHR information for them to make informed decisions about their health.
YONECO is currently implementing a project titled ‘Comprehensive Action for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW). The project’s overall objective is to reduce incidence of HIV among girls aged 15-24 through addressing negative gender and social norms, strengthening community systems, and use of other integrated interventions that are aimed contributing towards the attainment of the 90-90-90 goals.
Other projects which YONECO is currently implementing in Malawi to promote young people’s SRHR include: Get Up Speak Out (GUSO) which is funded by Simavi and it is being implemented in Mangochi; YONECO is also implemented a DFID-funded project in Mangochi and Chikwawa. The project is titled Empowering Young People to Manage Health Risks as well as Integrating YFHS in YONECO’s Youth Drop in Centre which is funded by the Segal Family Foundation.
