16 March 2009

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Workshops


Last month, I spent a week working with Hazel from Phedisang (a local organization that runs drop-in centers in several villages all along the main tar road) helping to plan, and then observe, some teen pregnancy prevention workshops. It was a great experience to work with her and be around to see positive outcomes.
Each workshop was about 2 hours long and we tried to divide the time up in such a way that we would make sure to emphasize certain topics. The outline and what we covered went a little something like this:
*What do you know about pregnancy? (the answers ranged from knowing that getting pregnant comes from having sex to a woman having shiny palms and a glowing body when she's expecting)
*An exercise in labeling the parts of the male and female reproductive systems
*Information on HIV/AIDS, STI's, and locations in the local area where you can get tested, be treated, and receive options for protecting yourself.
*The Bridge Activity. Given magazines, paper, pencils and pens, the girls thought about their futures and were asked to draw a "bridge". What are some goals you have for yourself? What must you do now or in the near future to help yourself to achieve those goals? (Many talked of getting a good education and wanting to be nurses, doctors, teachers, social workers, and one mentioned a passion for becoming a pilot.)
Close to 100 girls attended the workshops.
Enable Village, one of the villages set off the tar road. I took a taxi from Metz to the cross (where the main tar road and Enable dirt road meet), then took a Maxi Taxi that was waiting under a nearby tree (cars owned and driven by local men who drive you closer to the village since there is no regular running public transport), and then walked about half an hour to the drop-in center.
One of the girls from the center in Butswana Village presenting her Bridge.
Hazel and Olga posing with all their facilitating materials.
Olga presenting information about STI's with a carer at the Worcester Center.
Here's the group of girls from the Enable Center with Mmapula, Olga, and Jeaneth (a carer).

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