Background
Adolescents in Nigeria engage in unprotected sex resulting in a high rate of unintended pregnancies which has led to teen parenting, unsafe abortions, STIs, and additional challenges. Contributing to these issues is the inadequate knowledge of contraceptives which compounds these problems and can lead adolescents to make poor health decisions. Poor voluntary uptake of family planning services is also fuelled by religious and societal perception that only promiscuous adolescents use FP services
Program description
YPE4AH is a USAID-funded project to advance adolescent health in Lagos and Kano states. The project uses an integrated approach to support young people and address some of the challenges they face through building leadership and life skills. Project provides:
Information on SGBV, drug abuse, mental health etc.
Leadership programming teaches adolescents to acquire skills required to solve issues affecting their health and development
Livelihood skills including job trainings, skill acquisition, and financial literacy to empower adolescents
Methodology
Youth Hubs: The Hubs have functional spaces specifically designed for training, counselling, and service provision and for physical activities/practical sessions. It is a space where adolescents can play games, network with peers, relax, and watch interesting movies.
Service Provision: Adolescents access services by visiting the counselling room and having sessions with trained youth friendly counsellors. If they require services that are unavailable at the hub e.g LARC, they are referred to and connected to additional services - the spokes.
Adolescents walk into the hub and access FP/GBV/SRH information and services
Results
After training and graduation, adolescents still visit the hub with their friends and siblings, showing that they feel safe with the project
The Lagos state government has handed over the youth centres to the program to manage and use because the young people have shown that they can run their programs and achieve results. Adolescents are equipped with SRHR knowledge, and adolescents now report willingly and consciously use contraceptives
