Young people need adequate information about Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and this is one the key determinants of their bright future and wellbeing as they transition to adulthood. Lack of critical SRHR information among young people leads to increased cases of unintended teen pregnancies, child marriages, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) including HIV.
Thus, through our Youth Development Programme, we conduct various sessions on SRHR with young people across Malawi. Recently, our team was at St Augustine Secondary School in Nkhata Bay district where they engaged a total of 118 male and female students. The activity was purposely organized to raise awareness on various issues pertaining to young people’s SRHR.
“The challenge is that we focus on certain things forgetting that there are so many risks and hazards associated with such escapades. The session has been an eye opener to me,” explained one of the female students at the school.
The first phase of SRHR Awareness sessions at the school targeted students who are in senior classes (Form 3 and 4) and the second phase will targeted those who are in Forms 1 and 2.
“Mainly, the sessions were focused the choices which young people make to either have sex or not and the results of such decisions,” said Dunreck Pande – YONECO Programme Support Manager.
The activities are being facilitated by our staff and interns who are pursuing Bachelor of Human Sciences Degree Programme at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR).
