News
Peer training on sexual and reproductive health programmes for youth
A peer training on sexual and reproductive health programmes for youth took place from 10th to the 15th of June on the clear shore of lake Issy-Kul.
The training named “Basic principles of peer education in sexual and reproductive health of youth and adolescents” was conducted in the framework of the United Nations Population Fund and the development of the Y-Peer network.
More than 30 young people from all the regions of Kyrgyzstan aged from 15 to 25 participated in this event. All of these young men and women work in various programmes and projects, aiming at improving the life and health of vulnerable groups of the society.
The main task of this training was to introduce the knowledge and skills on sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, drug use and safe behavior to the young participants through peer education.
This peer education principle is a system of education, based on the work of volunteers that educate their peers.
The main peculiarity of this method is that people equal in their social and age-specific status educate each other through communication. This guarantees more trustworthy relationships between the participants and their peer trainers and a better understanding of the taught materials.
All of the participants of the training received basic information about this method and also learned in depth about sexual and reproductive health, drug use, violence and its consequences, and the rights of peoples in these issues.
According to the participants opinions on the training, it had a great meaning for them, this they will use this method in their own work in the future.
Maksat, the representative of the Rainbow social fund noted that the meaning of the training for him was the exchange of experience and learning something new. “We never new about this peer education principle and now we will try to work using this method” – said he.
A psychologist from the public organization named “Socium” Olesya said that “this training was aiming at young people and many people where unaware of the information given here. And now the knowledge gained will help go further in our activities.”
Another participant Natalia from the an organization “Shyktanuu” for children and youth comments that this training was important because here the trainers touched up on issues like child conception and peer education.
Representatives os some seventeen organizations participated in this country wide training some of them are: “The Red Crescent”, “Ranar”, “Avallon”, “Labris” and many others.
All of the participants received certificates upon completion of the training and went of to their home towns and organizations to pass on the information and method they learned during this 5 day training.
However, this training was never meant to be a solitary event. It is just the basic part of the peer education process, which consists of 4 levels.
All that participated in this basic training have a chance to carry on with their peer education and participate in further events. In order to do this, the participants of the basis training have to organize themselves into groups and carry out and accomplish a project written on the last day of the basic training. The participants of the next peer training will be selected based on the results of these projects evaluation.
