DATE           : 15th September , 2022

Venue          : Mvunguti TDC

Introduction

On 15th September 2023, Tobwirane in partnership with Youth Action for Success and Development- YASD ,conducted a training for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in TA Chitukula, Mvunguti youth network in Lilongwe. The  training was facilitated by Mr Hamilton , a nurse at Area 25 Health centre. The training delivered on sexual and reproductive health and rights specifically Family planning methods/ contraceptives as well as enlighting the youth friendly health services which are available and provided at Area 25 Health facility being a public health centre which serves people and communities mainly of TA Chitukula and part of TA chimutu thus Area 51, 18B and Saint . A total number of 30 adolescent girls and young women attended the training.

Objectives

  • To equip and train the adolescent girls and young women about family planning and the available contraceptives
  • To dissolve and break the myth , fears and misconceptions on some of the contraceptive commodities amongst the adolescent girls and young women /.
  • To know if Area 25 health centre fully and meaningfully provides youth friendly health services and if it is really youth friendly .

Activities

  1. Facilitation
  2. Question and answers
  3. Demonstrating some of the family planning commodities to the participants

TOPICS

  1. Family planning and GBV
  2. Myth and Misconceptions of family planning amongst AGYW
  3. Area 25 health centre – YFHS provisions

Lessons learnt

  • Male condoms is a common contraceptive that is mostly used by the adolescent girls unlike the female condoms which was reported that most of the boys/men they interact with , do not prefer to use.
  • There are mixed reactions and misconceptions towards the family planning commodities like implant among others that such commodities exposes girls to a risk of cancer and internal body complications. One of the girls reported that she heard that implants can be lost from the site implanted , and go into the blood stream. The other one seconded by saying that an implant makes a girl who hasn’t delivered before become barren or infertile .
  • Most young girls are being abused but they do not report the issues.
  • Knowledge gap on sexuality and SRHR contributes to increased levels of gender based violence amonst girls as they are not even aware of the forms of the abuse.
  • There were a lot of misconceptions which were learnt which influences most of the girls not to use the contraceptives. It was reported that girls who use family planning methods becomes unsexy and not sweet to men in bed.
  • The adolescent girls and young women learnt a lot from the presentations and they were proud to be brainwashed by the right information from a health personnel .
  • Area 25 Health facility is a youth friendly health centre in a way that it provides YFHS when the youth themselves demands the commodities and services they want .
  • It was also learnt that despite the fact that the facility provides YFHS, but it is not really youth friendly because of the design of the facility . The facility or rooms which serves as YFHS corner is just next to OPD and also Maternity which acts as a barrier to influence adolescent girls and young women have an attitude to access the commodities comfortably.
  • Adolescent girls and young women who attended the training , are ready to empower others and influence them join the YFHS youth group which meets and gathers at Area 25 health centre every Saturday .
  • There are plans by the management to extend the facility and the plan to have a separate youth corner room has been embedded into the plan as one of the priorities .

Challenges

  • Switching of the conference room at the venue because of crushing of meetings with the Ministry of health, and Malawi Defence force
  • Limited finances to cutter all materials needed at the training.

Success

  • The training met its intended objectives
  • All the participants including the facilitator appreciated the way training was organised .

Recommendations

  • Mobilise enough resources when conducting similar activities.

Summary

Tobwirane Organisation in partnership with YASD conducted an AGYW training in Mvunguti youth network which acted as a myth breaker towards SRHR and Family planning. The training was facilitated by the DHO through area 25 health centre health personnel.