Breaking Generations of Breaking Generations of Silence Silence

TAHSEEN ProjectTAHSEEN ProjectAPHA Annual Meeting and ExpositionAPHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

December 10-14, 2005December 10-14, 2005

Philadelphia, PAPhiladelphia, PA

Shabab TAHSEEN:Shabab TAHSEEN:Innovations in BCC led by youthInnovations in BCC led by youth

The TAHSEEN ProjectThe TAHSEEN Project

ObjectivesObjectives USAID:USAID: Help Egypt’s MOHP reach its long- Help Egypt’s MOHP reach its long-

term goals of higher contraceptive use and term goals of higher contraceptive use and replacement level fertilityreplacement level fertility

TAHSEEN:TAHSEEN: Build on past successes; fill Build on past successes; fill remaining gaps; leave behind a sustainable remaining gaps; leave behind a sustainable FP/RH programFP/RH program

The TAHSEEN Project is the last USAID-funded The TAHSEEN Project is the last USAID-funded family planning and reproductive health project in family planning and reproductive health project in Egypt.Egypt.

We Believe in a Participatory We Believe in a Participatory Approach to Development…Approach to Development…

Transparency Transparency Shared vision with our Shared vision with our

partners partners Putting the community firstPutting the community first Responding to local needsResponding to local needs Working at all levels of societyWorking at all levels of society Working with non-traditional partnersWorking with non-traditional partners Empowering individualsEmpowering individuals

TAHSEEN Integrated FP/RH ModelTAHSEEN Integrated FP/RH Model

The Need for Youth-focused ProgramsThe Need for Youth-focused Programs

TAHSEEN study revealedTAHSEEN study revealed Lack of knowledge of sexual and Lack of knowledge of sexual and

reproductive healthreproductive health Lack of communication between Lack of communication between

adults and young peopleadults and young people Young newly-weds not aware of the Young newly-weds not aware of the

importance of marital sexual and importance of marital sexual and reproductive health knowledgereproductive health knowledge

AimAim

Attract, educate and mobilize young people on Attract, educate and mobilize young people on sexual and reproductive healthsexual and reproductive health

Encourage them to share knowledge with peers, Encourage them to share knowledge with peers, parents and community leaders as multipliers of parents and community leaders as multipliers of information about reproductive health and family information about reproductive health and family planning planning

Develop youth championsDevelop youth champions Link the community to the newly-renovated clinicLink the community to the newly-renovated clinic

TAHSEEN’s Youth-centered ActivitiesTAHSEEN’s Youth-centered Activities

Tools for youthTools for youth National youth health hotlineNational youth health hotline Companion FP/RH website for youthCompanion FP/RH website for youth University peer-to-peer education University peer-to-peer education

programprogram Shabab TAHSEEN week in local Shabab TAHSEEN week in local

communities communities

Youth-focused toolsYouth-focused tools

Question and answer booklets for youth

Series of booklets on Puberty for boys Puberty for girls Hygiene Nutrition How pregnancy occurs Family health Sexually transmitted diseases

Youth Hotline and WebsiteYouth Hotline and Website

Efficient way to counsel and inform in a Efficient way to counsel and inform in a personalized manner personalized manner

Provide accurate FP/RH informationProvide accurate FP/RH information Widely accessibleWidely accessible Popular with parents & their childrenPopular with parents & their children Associated website – www.shababna.orgAssociated website – www.shababna.org

10,502 calls 28,338 hits

Youth Peer-to-peer ProgramYouth Peer-to-peer Program

Working with local universities to establish Working with local universities to establish FP/RH educator groups FP/RH educator groups

Students trained to share accurate FP/RH Students trained to share accurate FP/RH information with their classmatesinformation with their classmates

First of its kind in EgyptFirst of its kind in Egypt

Shabab TAHSEEN WeekShabab TAHSEEN Week

Activities include:Activities include: Core:Core:

Health education sessions (Puberty changes, proper nutrition, Health education sessions (Puberty changes, proper nutrition, smoking and addiction, age of marriage & OBSI and FGC )smoking and addiction, age of marriage & OBSI and FGC )

Support:Support: Community services (School beautification and tree planting, Community services (School beautification and tree planting,

volunteerism)volunteerism) SportsSports

Six-day behavior change communication Six-day behavior change communication program aimed at young people aged 14 program aimed at young people aged 14 – 18– 18

Shabab TAHSEEN WeekShabab TAHSEEN Week

Increase reproductive and sexual Increase reproductive and sexual health knowledge of participantshealth knowledge of participants

Mobilize youth through behavior Mobilize youth through behavior change communicationchange communication

Improve communication between youth Improve communication between youth and their parents/eldersand their parents/elders

Minimize the gap between the Minimize the gap between the community and the newly-renovated community and the newly-renovated clinicclinic

Involving Youth and Their ParentsInvolving Youth and Their Parents

1,944 Shabab TAHSEEN Week participants1,944 Shabab TAHSEEN Week participants 48 concurrent seminars held for 2,190 parents48 concurrent seminars held for 2,190 parents

Evidence of SuccessEvidence of Success

Improvements in Youths knowledge of RH topics

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

OBSI Appropriate ageof first

pregnancy

Harmful effectsof female

circumcision

Changes duringpuberty

(N=1672)

% Pre-testPost-test

Informing Family MembersInforming Family Members

““My older sister told me My older sister told me that she didn’t know about that she didn’t know about birth spacing before, but birth spacing before, but now she does and she now she does and she wants to practice it.”wants to practice it.”

(14 year-old female Shabab TAHSEEN Week participant)(14 year-old female Shabab TAHSEEN Week participant)

Educating PeersEducating Peers

“Ninety-five percent of our information was wrong. Because of our customs and traditions we were embarrassed to talk, but I have learned to break the wall of shyness. Now I know that these are not things that contradict our religion… TAHSEEN will deliver a message through the generations.” (17 year old, female peer educator )

Educating PeersEducating Peers

““I convinced my mother and father not to carry out the I convinced my mother and father not to carry out the FGC operation on my younger sister. It was very difficult FGC operation on my younger sister. It was very difficult but I succeeded in changing their minds.”but I succeeded in changing their minds.”

((19 year old peer educator from Minia peer educator from Minia University)University)

Spreading Health MessagesSpreading Health Messages

“When I told my father about what I learnt during the STW, he decided to help me spread the messages. We planted trees in the area in front of our building and were joined by my friends. During the work we told them about all the messages.”

(13 year-old Shabab TAHSEEN Week participant)

Breaking with TraditionBreaking with Tradition

“I stood up to my father when he wanted to circumcise me. I also stood up to the woman who promotes circumcision... I will not stop spreading the messages. What I do not accept for myself I should not accept for others. I believe that is true volunteerism.”(15 year-old Shabab TAHSEEN Week participant)

Community SupportCommunity Support

In Minia Governorate, In Minia Governorate, the local council the local council officially named a street officially named a street Shabab TAHSEEN Shabab TAHSEEN Street, reflecting the Street, reflecting the community's community's acceptance and support acceptance and support for the youth program. for the youth program.

National institutions (NCCM) & NGOs are National institutions (NCCM) & NGOs are taking a lead role in organizing Shabab taking a lead role in organizing Shabab TAHSEEN activities under their own TAHSEEN activities under their own initiativeinitiative

Government officials and local youth Government officials and local youth committees are initiating their own Shabab committees are initiating their own Shabab TAHSEEN WeeksTAHSEEN Weeks

Replication and SustainabilityReplication and Sustainability

Breaking Generations of Breaking Generations of SilenceSilence

By informing youth and using them as By informing youth and using them as advocates of change, it has indeed been advocates of change, it has indeed been possible for TAHSEEN to break generations of possible for TAHSEEN to break generations of silence.silence.

This will ensure that youth have greater access This will ensure that youth have greater access to information and services and are more to information and services and are more empowered to make informed choices to empowered to make informed choices to ensure their health, and the health of their ensure their health, and the health of their future families.future families.

There is a time to let things There is a time to let things happen and a time to make happen and a time to make things happen……things happen……

Thank YouThank You