Objective:
·Develop a working model of youth-led and youth-implemented intervention program that promote positive changes in norms related to gender and sexuality in order to prevent unintended pregnancies.
Targets:
·1 model or plan
·50% of youth leaders doing volunteer work
·50% of listed youth members participate in activities
The thirteen (13) youth leaders from the three (3) youth organizations conducted a strategic planning last January and came up with a one-year campaign. The campaign intends to prevent unprotected sex among young people that often leads to early pregnancy and acquiring sexually transmitted diseases. Each youth organization had a meeting a few days after the strategic planning to discuss the campaign with the members. The members of each organization agreed to carry the plan and support it.
Part of the one-year campaign is the conduct of a community parade to inform other young people about the services and programs which the youth organization are offering. The youth organizations of Malabon and Bulacan conducted a community parade with their members and officials of Youth and Barangay Councils. They distributed flyers that contain adolescent sexuality messages while chanting improvised songs. The community people, Youth and Barangay Councils gave warm support and challenges to the members of the youth organization. The services and programs were offered not only for the members of the organization but also to the young people of the community that need it. Through the adolescent hotlines (whether mobile phone, telephone or internet), launched during the activity, young people can ask questions related to adolescents’ sexuality and reproductive health and rights. There were young people who had sent questions related to romantic relationships, sex and contraception soon after the launching.
The youth leaders identified key persons in the distribution of condoms to young people who need access. Each organization identified one (1) condom caretaker/ provider. The three (3) youth organizations divided among them the two hundred eighty-eight (288) pieces of condoms donated by one organization in the network of PiLaKK-Youth. The Boses ng Kabataang Pilipino had a total of fourteen (14) young clients; the 3K had twenty-one (21) young clients and SIKAT, ten (10) young clients. The client increase from the month of January to April is a collaborative effort of PiLaKK youth leaders and the community health workers of Likhaan in the communities of PiLaKK.
The youth organizations conducted a community discussion on the issue of premarital sex. Sixty (60) members from SIKAT and eighteen (18) leaders and members from 3K attended the session. Three (3) youth leaders each from the two (2) youth organizations facilitated the discussion. Likhaan provided the modules including factsheets. One of the issues raised during the discussion was the lack of education and accurate information on sexuality and reproductive health. The information that young people get from friends and various types of media are often false and incorrect.
The three (3) youth organizations conducted a membership audit to be able to come up with an official list of their members. On their audit, they found out that there were members who left the community and might never come back for some reasons. They also found out that a few members had just transferred their membership to the adult women organization of PiLaKK because they already had children. As of the moment, there are a total of seventy-six (76) members from the Boses ng Kabataang Pilipino, two hundred twenty-two (222) members from 3K and ninety-three (93) members from SIKAT. PiLaKK-Youth has a total of thirty-three (33) youth leaders. These leaders do not just limit themselves in organizing for sexuality and reproductive health and rights but also in some issues of the community like housing, good governance and general health.
PiLaKK-Youth will conduct its peer counseling training on the 3rd quarter of the year. A series of educational sessions will still be conducted focusing on sexuality and reproductive health and rights. Capability-building sessions will be given to the new leaders of PiLaKK-Youth.
