Adolescents in Rwanda face significant barriers to accessing adolescent sexual & reproductive health and rights (ASRHR) information and services. This is due partly to the belief that adolescents should not engage in sexual activities and thus should not need access to ASRHR information and services without parental consent.
Furthermore, parents of adolescents tend to hold to conservative beliefs that make discussion around their child’s sexual and reproductive health taboo. In schools as well, information about ASRHR is often incomplete and adolescents tend to rely on their peers and social media for information on sexual health. This can lead to misconceptions and risky sexual behaviours.
In response to emerging ASRHR-related issues, SOS Children’s Villages in Rwanda is implementing ASRHR interventions in 120 public schools targeting 22,800 young people of 10-18 years in 8 Districts namely: Gasabo, Bugesera, Rwamagana, Kayonza, Gicumbi, Musanze, Huye and Nyamagabe.
Those interventions aim at improving adolescent access to ASRHR information by empowering them, their parents and their teachers with accurate information on ASRHR and equipping them with comprehensive knowledge and skills regarding their sexuality, rights, and health-seeking behaviours.
Club members meet once a week to learn and share an array of information on ASRHR-related topics including: puberty, prevention of unwanted pregnancies, prevention of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), gender-based violence and positive behaviour.
To ensure effective and timely support, SOS Children’s Villages in Rwanda also empowered 120 teachers and 246 members of childcare structures (IZUs &CHWs) who provide guidance to both parents & clubs. The role of teachers and Inshuti z’Umuryango (IZU) friends of the family and CHWs members include but not limited to addressing ASRHR problems, mobilizing and sensitizing the community for meetings, providing ASRHR counselling services to both adolescents and parents and strengthening referral to ASRHR services if needed to nearest health facilities.
Augustin Rwambibi a teacher-mentor from GS Kabuye said: “Challenges we used to meet are stigmatization associated with difficult experiences such as sexual abuse, early pregnancies and coyness among young girls to participate when discussing ASRHR in the presence of the boys and myths about sexuality”.
Augustin added that the Kura Umenye Project plays a big role in the area of capacity building, mobilization and sensitization of parents during awareness-raising campaigns, facilitating parent-child communication and dialogues, availing IECs materials, providing technical support regarding counselling services, hence strengthening linkage and referral with nearest health facilities.”
He added “ASRHR staff from health centres are linked with our clubs and provide support and expertise during club meetings or IEC sessions. These club settings viewed as safe places boost young people to open up and share their experiences. The best practice that Kura Umenye Project brought to our school is to mix ASRHR-related teachings with counselling services for enhancing the coping mechanisms of young people for better resilience.”
In line with the above and with reference to various discussions with club members, the latter expressed how club members are enthusiastic about the Kura Umenye Program.
Sexual Health becoming a Concern for Young people
Clubs have helped dispel common myths and misconceptions among their members. Club activities have been particularly successful in helping young people understand that certain beliefs regarding ASRHR topics are inaccurate.
Sabine Izabayisenga said “the club settings are such conducive settings over other sources of ASRHR information, such as radio programs or magazines, because they are interactive, allowing for questions to be asked and answered. Now, we can discuss ASRHR topics without embarrassment or shame.”
She added that they open up and share without felt misjudged. “Our teacher-mentor is our trustworthy person to whom we seek confidential advice on ASRHR concerns through both group and one-on-one counselling,” she said.
SOS Children’s Villages Rwanda believes in the capacity of young people. They have proven to be the best to voice their needs, realities, and opinions. They need access to both health information and health services.