By Marilyn King
FREETOWN, June 13 (232news.com) – Planned Parenthood Association of Sierra Leone (PPASL) on Thursday 2nd June 2022 trained school health club members at Trivoli Hall in Freetown on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Right (ASRHR).
The training is geared towards, providing opportunity for adolescents to know about, and get information on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Right, and Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) which they will utilize to embark on advocacy at their various schools in order to reduce the appalling health indicators in the country, especially teenage pregnancy.
The President of Youth Action Movement Sierra Leone (YAMSL) Buya Nabie Bangura, said the pupils have the responsibility and right to sexual reproductive health.
He furthered that PPASL thought it fit to have school pupils at the training, and they were looking forward to working with the school pupils in their various schools. Bangura noted that after the training the pupils will get back to their various schools and pass on the messages that have been given to them. He also said from time to time they will be visiting the school pupils in their various schools to ensure that they function and operate well. He maintained that they want to establish the school clubs in the various institutions, so that they strengthen the existence of Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Services with relevant knowledge.
PPASL Director of Programs, Thaim Kargbo, said they invited the School Pupils, to give them training on School Health Clubs, He also gave the meaning about School Health Clubs, that School Health Clubs is an organized body that has a connection of School pupils share in their concerns and challenges around the specific topics, like Sexual Reproductive Health and Right Issues. He noted that Sexual Reproductive Health and Right Issues captivated Prevention of Teenage Pregnancy, Prevention of Sexual and Gender Based Violence and Prevention of Early Marriage. He furthered that School Health Clubs are going to be School agent for discrimination of Information, for sensitization, for sharing of information of Sexual Reproductive Health among peers. He also said the responsibility of the School Health Club is to be with PPASL, get information and educational materials, and designate the information on educational materials within the School setting. He concluded that the School Health Should have an organized body and dedicate responsibilities within the Health Clubs, with respective functions.
PPASL Executive Director, Dr. Sarian Kamara, said she was very excited to meet with the School Pupils, and it was the first time to be training with them since she took over office of Executive Director at PPASL.
She continued that as an organization, they wanted to take the issue of Sexual Reproductive Health to the schools through the information or establishment of School Health Clubs. She noted that the pupils will serve as Ambassadors, and will also have a good knowledge during the training, so that at the end they will be able to access correct information and also avoidable services, and they will be able to understand what is Sexuality all about. She maintained that the School pupils will understand that sexuality is natural and fundamental human rights, and they will also know about their own choices. She concluded that people will also respect the school pupils’ choices, and the decisions that they will made.
