Projet title
:
Experimentation of the “Aunties” Project in the Women’s Empowerment and Family Centres of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Family.
Context and Justification :
Due to an unsuitable environment (absence of sex education in the family and school, negative influence of friends, the media and video clubs, ignorance of modern contraceptive methods), the teenager is exposed to several risks very often linked to an early sexual activity. Consequently, unwanted pregnancies and induced abortions, even among teenage mothers, are rampant. The number of teenagers who contract sexually transmissible diseases is relatively substantial.
The case of dropouts due to pregnancy is also of major concern, a teenage mother, an STI-infected adolescent lives despair and is in dire need of psycho-social support and comfort.
The “Aunties” Project executed with the support of Cameroon-German Health/AIDS Programme helped to curb the number of unwanted pregnancies in school establishments and communities of the Littoral, North West and South West regions.
As of date, 4000 teenage mothers are trained in the following fields;
Prevention of early pregnancy;
Prevention of STIs/HIV/AIDS;
Promotion of abstinence and Virginity among adolescents;
Communication in favour of a change in behaviour;
Body hygiene;
Team building and associative life;
The project operates on 27 sites. According to figures obtained at the level of project, among 5000 adolescents, 9% are already sexually active at the age of12. This rate evolved to 67%, 60% being girls of 16 years. More than one adolescent out of five (21%) are vicitims of unwanted pregnancy.
More than 63% of those who claimed to be using condom do not do so at every sexual relationship.
More than 84% do not use or know any other modern contraceptive method. Among 4000 teenage mothers 64% had their first sexual relationship between 12 and 16 years. 18% acknowledge having commited abortion at least once.
MINCOF’s areas of interest as far as the Aunties projects are concerned are manifold. For Women’s Empowerment and Family Centres, their missions are as follows:
Moral, civic and intellectual training of women and girls for their economic, social and cultural empowerment. WEFCs welcome, without any discrimination, adult women as well as young girls, individually or grouped in associations, either in need of training or information, or having an expertise to offer.
Women’s Empowerment and Family Centres are established in some localities where the “Aunties” project is operational. This is in view of an experimentation of the Aunties Project in these Centres.
General objective :
Experiment the “Aunties” Project in Women’s Empowerment and Family Centres by introducing a module on Reproduction Health.
Specific objectives :
Intensify Cooperation between the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Family and GTZ (Youth and Adolescent Reproductive Health Project).
Familiarise officials of Central Services and the personnel of Women Empowerment Centres with the “Aunties” Project.
Funding source: GTZ (Youth and Adolescent Reproductive Health) Project
Venue: Edea
Date: 14 to 16 December 2003.
No of participants: 30
Content of the upgrading session: (to be determined by GTZ (SRJA Project)
Didactic material: to be provided by GTZ.
Expected Results:
Better understanding and mastry of the Aunties Project by participants;
intensified Cooperation between MINCOF and GTZ.
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