Health nutrition and Hygiene here under HOPE

The HOPE Youth programme include issues like Health nutrition and Hygiene. The HOPE Youth programme operates within the programme area of “prevention, abstinence and being faithful”.

Health nutrition and Hygiene here under HOPE

The HOPE Youth programme operates within the programme area of  “prevention, abstinence and being faithful”.

The planned activities as budgeted for were:

•  Continued implementation of the HOPE Youth Clubs in 45 schools
•  Carry out a one day workshop for contact teachers about Annual HOPE Youth Festivals
• Preparation for and celebration of the Annual HOPE Youth Festival to be held in Outapi for half of the schools and in Ogongo for the other half of the schools.
• Continued education of learners as peer educators.
• Reach agreement with RACE on 25 schools to be invited into the programme in the next school year starting in January 2007, visit these schools and present the HOPE Youth Programme.

The actual activities were:

• Volunteers and contact teachers in each of the 45 schools have continued the HOPE Youth Club sessions according to the agreed 22 lessons plan for the year. As special activities preparations were made for the HOPE Youth Festival, where a group of learners from each school were tasked to bring an exhibition, a slogan, a song and a drama – all with important HIV/AIDS messages of their own choice.
• In a one day workshop contact teachers and volunteers from each school were invited to get instructions and inspiration for the preparations to the HOPE Youth Festivals to be held in Outapi and Ogongo. Practical coordination and distribution of tasks were also part of the agenda.
• The HOPE Youth Programme staff visited schools mainly on Saturdays for training of learners as peer educators. This happened according to the plan and the staff managed to overcome transport difficulties to reach the schools, even though many of them are far away from the main road into the bush.
• The HOPE Youth Programme staff made agreement with RACE Omusati about which 25 schools had trained teachers (by RACE).  The staff visited these 25 schools, presented the HOPE Youth Programme to the principals and teachers responsible for HIV/AIDS and all 25 schools were interested in the HOPE Youth Programme to be implemented at their schools in the coming school year 2007. They are tasked to sign up for the programme at the latest in November and also to select the teacher and a local volunteer to be in charge of the programme at their school and communicate the names to the HOPE Youth Programme staff before the December holiday. The training of teachers and volunteers will take place in January – February 2007 and thereafter the HOPE Youth Clubs will start. At two schools the principal is facing problems with parents who do not want their children to join the programme of HIV/AIDS because they say that teachers are promoting sex among the learners. The principals will call for parents’ meetings on the issue and HOPE Youth Programme staff will be available for the meetings to inform about the programme and be part of the discussions.