Peer educators sharpen skills on reproductive health

Youths and peer educators in Fako Division have sharpened their skills in conducting outreach education in the field of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Health Rights, HIV & AIDS and Sexually Transmissible Infections.

Their skills were honed during a workshop organised in Buea on Saturday, January 31, 2015 by Vision in Action Cameroon (VIAC) with the objective of developing effective Community Peer Educators Program (VIAC Volunteers) in conducting outreach education in the field of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, HIV & AIDS and STI.

The workshop was organised on the theme: “Training of Voluntary Peer Educators in the Field of Sexual Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and STIs.

According to the Coordinator of VIAC, Peter Fongeh, the aim of the workshop was to recruit and train 20 community volunteers in Self Awareness, Interpersonal Communication, Peer Education, Negotiation Skills on Condom Usage, Peer Counselling and to see that trained volunteers are deployed to communities and schools within Fako Division to raise awareness and train their peers on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, HIV/AIDS and other STIs.

While on the field, Fongeh told the peer educators to increase basic knowledge on HIV/AIDS and STIs transmission and prevention among school drop outs in the community, develop life skills.

The Coordinator of VIAC underlined that the project’s goal is to empower young Cameroonians to take a significant role in improving their lives and those of others within their communities and country.

In a paper pegged on “Youth Engagement in Community Development”, Yonga Nelly Shella, Coordinator of the Rural Women Development Center (RUWDEC) Buea drilled the peer educators on the reasons and advantages of participating in community development.

The Commonwealth professional fellow said the youth should participate in community development as a way of developing their ability and potential to respond to problems and needs of their community, adding that it gives them an edge over others and a better command on the things they want to see in their community.

While enjoining the youth to be the change they want to see, she urged them to develop team work skills, Build their communication and time management skills, as they develop their career path.

Roland Etchu, Marketing and Project Manager of ACMS South West Region on his part gave General Information on HIV and Unwanted Pregnancies and harped on the appropriate use of condoms.