BEHAVIOR CHANGE
Preparing today's young people for a healthy tomorrow... and beyond.
Even with a good education, today's young people are susceptible to many forms of negative peer pressure. Our youth are more connected with each other and the world around them than ever before, due in large part to technology and globalization of the world's economy. While that does have its advantages, it also means that young people are constantly bombarded by countless forms of influence and stimulus - not all of which are healthy.
This realization began for us on a local bus, in which two young women in secondary school were casually discussing their sexual activity in a public space. Of course the reality is that teens engage in a variety of unhealthy behaviors - sex, drugs, alcohol - but we asked ourselves, "What is being done about this in our community?" That answer prompted the establishment of EBLI and the act to initiate, first and foremost, Kijana Chagua Maisha ("Youth Choose Life") student-led clubs in 10 secondary schools in Mwanza, Tanzania. From there our school-based activities multiplied, providing behavior change process (BCP) training that addresses sexual and reproductive health and human rights (SRHR), including legal and child protection policy trainings, equipping students with awareness and skills to help decrease teenage pregnancies, avoiding behavior patterns that put students at risk of school dropout. |
Kijana Chagua Maisha
The language of the people of Tanzania is Swahili, and that is our approach: to work with local people in their language and in their culture. Kijana Chagua Maisha - the name of our project and student-led clubs in Mwanza secondary schools - is a Swahili expression that gets to the heart of our mission: young people choosing healthy futures for themselves. That is why EBLI, working in collaboration with local academic headmasters and students, founded clubs in 10 secondary schools that serve as a positive peer pressure environment for today's youth. The goal is simple: by providing BCP trainings, coupled with a safe and structured environment for students to discuss teen issues, together we can increase awareness of SRHR and decrease instances of GBV among young people in schools.
Each Kijana Chagua Maisha club boasts at least 100 student members, is managed by a leadership team of 3 students, and is guided by a year-long curriculum of topics related to teenage life (sexual and reproductive health , drugs, alcohol, financial literacy, etc.). Students lead and moderate the discussion, though each club is sponsored by a teacher from within the school to gain buy-in. Some 10,000 students each year participate in Kijana Chagua Maisha school clubs and associated activities.
Each Kijana Chagua Maisha club boasts at least 100 student members, is managed by a leadership team of 3 students, and is guided by a year-long curriculum of topics related to teenage life (sexual and reproductive health , drugs, alcohol, financial literacy, etc.). Students lead and moderate the discussion, though each club is sponsored by a teacher from within the school to gain buy-in. Some 10,000 students each year participate in Kijana Chagua Maisha school clubs and associated activities.
Legal and Human Rights Training |
Article Printing and Dissemination |
Inter-School Competitions |
Knowing your options necessitates knowing your rights. That is why our legal expert conducts multi-day seminars each year in ten secondary schools - to ensure today's youth know their rights. Students are trained in (among other things) the Law of the Child to understand how their government has agreed to protect and uphold their value in their school and in their community.
|
Where creativity is lacking in the classroom, we ratchet it up. Throughout the year EBLI publishes articles that are posted to Kijana Chagua Maisha bulletin boards in schools. Each article covers teen issues and invites a response from the student body, guided by a set of questions. Students submit their comments and reactions to the articles, which serves as a creative learning process for all.
|
Legal trainings and articles can only be so fun. But teens love and deserve to have fun. In fact, that's when they are at their best. That's why each year we host inter-school competitions, which provides a platform for students' creative energy to flourish. Dance competitions, football matches and singing attract thousands of students, all under the influence of Kijana Chagua Maisha.
|
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF
BEHAVIOR CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY
Copyright © 2015-2017 Education for Better Living Organization (EBLI). All Rights Reserved.