|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peer helpers
from Naparima Girls' High School in the room
provided for counselling. Seated are Ann Dabideen,
teacher, and Oswald Pierre, coordinator.
Young People - In and Out of School
IntroductionOne of the most important areas of the Family Planning Association is the Information, Education and Communication Unit, which has overseen the responsibility for youth education and training. The FPA has been committed to the sexual and reproductive health of young people for over two decades. The Association firmly believes that a well-informed youth population would be one that would make healthy choices thereby maximizing their potential to live productive and fulfilling lives. Youth training and education takes place through Family Life Education, Counselling, Peer Helper Training, the Youth Advocacy Movement and the Nicky McBride Resource Centre.Family Life Education
Since 1976, the FPA has offered Family Life Education (FLE) programmes to thousands of young people between the ages of 10-25 both in and out of school. In 1991, the Family Life Education was standardized under FPA's National Youth Project, which is funded by an annual subvention from the Trinidad and Tobago government. The FLE curriculum contains such topics as:
- Growth and development
- Puberty and adolescence
- Human sexuality
- Values clarification
- Self esteem/self awareness
- Abstinence
- Parenting
- Conception/contraception
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Interpersonal relationships
- Social problems affecting teenagers
Reaching far and wide . . .
Some of the out of school groups which have benefited from the FLE programme include the Youth Training and Employment Partnership Programme (YTEPP), Servol and the Civilian Conservation Corps.National Health and Family Life Education Policy
The FPA is currently a member of the National Health and Family Life Education Committee which was formulated as a result of government's endorsement of Caricom's initiative to strengthen Health and Family Life Education in the educational system.
. . . with counselling . . .
Between 1994 and 1998 three thousand four hundred and seventy (3,470) young persons sought counselling on a variety of sexual and reproductive health issues in person, via the telephone or through the mail. Family Life Educators offer counselling for issues such as:
- Contraceptive options
- Teenage pregnancy
- Sexually transmissable infections/HIV/AIDS
- Sexual and physical abuse
- Interpersonal-relationships
Clients presenting with issues such as domestic violence are often referred to other agencies such as the Families in Action or the Rape Crisis Society, associations that have more expertise in those areas.
In the future FPATT hopes to make on-line counselling available.
. . . and peer helper programmes.
Since 1988, FPATT has trained close to eight hundred (800) peer helpers in order to ensure that they are better equipped to share accurate sexual and reproductive health information. Peer helpers have been involved in the following activities:
- Sharing sexual and reproductive health information on radio and television programmes
- Staffing the RAPPORT and the Youth Drop in Centre of the National Aids Programme
- Popular theatre training
- Advocacy training workshops hosted by PAHO in Washington and IPPF in Barbados
- Acting in two FPA produced videos entitled 'A Young Woman's Guide to Life' and 'Of Pride and Other Prejudices'
