Innovative practices in Bulgaria
Sharing innovations for improving local self-government
Health and Sex Education from Young People to their Peers
Bulgarian Association for Family Planning
Background
On the basis of its surveys the Bulgarian Association for Family Planning and Sexual Health (BAFP) reports that the educational system in Bulgaria is still not giving young people the necessary information on matters of health and sexual culture, and especially on sexual contagious diseases, AIDS, protection against undesired pregnancy, etc. This conclusion is particularly graver in respect of young people with special needs.
On the basis of its surveys the Bulgarian Association for Family Planning and Sexual Health (BAFP) reports that the educational system in Bulgaria is still not giving young people the necessary information on matters of health and sexual culture, and especially on sexual contagious diseases, AIDS, protection against undesired pregnancy, etc. This conclusion is particularly graver in respect of young people with special needs.
Practice
In 1999 in reply to the specified needs, BAFP with the support of the Cooperating Netherlands Foundations started a project Health and Sex Education: Training from Young People to their Peers extending in two school years. It is directed to young people at the age of 14 to 18 years with an emphasis on marginal youth groups young people with physical injuries and criminal minors. By enhancing the sexual and health culture of these groups, the lack of information would be overcome to a large extent and the unfavorable indexes for the rate of abortions, sexual contagious diseases and AIDS would be diminished.
The project aims at creating a net of 13 schools, four of which are for young people with special needs (children with injured sight and hearing), and one for girls with criminal deeds in 4 different towns Sofia, Plovdiv, Pleven and Varna. The purpose is to introduce a pilot health program for education of young people by their peers. In 4 towns Consultative Committees were established by young people - members of BAFP and representatives of the School and the Parental Board of Trustees who helped the accomplishment of the activities, ensured supervision, continuation and sustainability of the project. No less important is the objective of integrating young people with special needs with this education program.
The implementation of the project is concentrated in a few main aspects:
- Educational part. Comprises the organization of 16 education seminars and a conference for summarizing the project s results. Four seminars will be conducted in each of the four towns. Teams composed of 6 young people 3 girls and 3 boys, volunteers of BAFP, from each of the 13 schools, have taken part in these modules.
Important elements from the educational part of the project are the games and sessions of health and sexual education. The theoretical information is supported with demonstration devices different types of contraceptives and models. After every theme, the teams are given the task to prepare and present their own education session on the basis of the information received and by using the subsidiary means given.
- Preparing informational and educational materials. For the purposes of the project two brochures were issued, directed to a broad range of young people, as well as a brochure intended for young people with special needs (for children with injured sight the brochure is issued in the Braille alphabet). A special placard for the project was prepared containing the message The young people trust young people .
The trainers have taken part in the preparation of a 15 minutes long educational film under the theme of health and sexual education named Because and financed by the European Union. Presently, the issuing of individual cards for early diagnostics of testicle and breast cancer has been prepared for the first time in our country.
In 1999 in reply to the specified needs, BAFP with the support of the Cooperating Netherlands Foundations started a project Health and Sex Education: Training from Young People to their Peers extending in two school years. It is directed to young people at the age of 14 to 18 years with an emphasis on marginal youth groups young people with physical injuries and criminal minors. By enhancing the sexual and health culture of these groups, the lack of information would be overcome to a large extent and the unfavorable indexes for the rate of abortions, sexual contagious diseases and AIDS would be diminished.
The project aims at creating a net of 13 schools, four of which are for young people with special needs (children with injured sight and hearing), and one for girls with criminal deeds in 4 different towns Sofia, Plovdiv, Pleven and Varna. The purpose is to introduce a pilot health program for education of young people by their peers. In 4 towns Consultative Committees were established by young people - members of BAFP and representatives of the School and the Parental Board of Trustees who helped the accomplishment of the activities, ensured supervision, continuation and sustainability of the project. No less important is the objective of integrating young people with special needs with this education program.
The implementation of the project is concentrated in a few main aspects:
- Educational part. Comprises the organization of 16 education seminars and a conference for summarizing the project s results. Four seminars will be conducted in each of the four towns. Teams composed of 6 young people 3 girls and 3 boys, volunteers of BAFP, from each of the 13 schools, have taken part in these modules.
Important elements from the educational part of the project are the games and sessions of health and sexual education. The theoretical information is supported with demonstration devices different types of contraceptives and models. After every theme, the teams are given the task to prepare and present their own education session on the basis of the information received and by using the subsidiary means given.
- Preparing informational and educational materials. For the purposes of the project two brochures were issued, directed to a broad range of young people, as well as a brochure intended for young people with special needs (for children with injured sight the brochure is issued in the Braille alphabet). A special placard for the project was prepared containing the message The young people trust young people .
The trainers have taken part in the preparation of a 15 minutes long educational film under the theme of health and sexual education named Because and financed by the European Union. Presently, the issuing of individual cards for early diagnostics of testicle and breast cancer has been prepared for the first time in our country.
Results
The assembled teams of 80 young trainers are facing the challenge of applying in practice what they have learned. Every team has already performed educational sessions with its classmates, few of them have widened their activity to other schools of their town, and it is able to instruct new trainers.
The Consultative Committees in the 4 towns will continue their work with the methodological assistance of BAFP and its centers in the country. The integration ensured will strengthen the connections between the teams and will assist a more active participation of the young people with special needs or in disadvatages position. The idea of the team of BAFP is that following the pilot introduction of the education of peers to peers education in Sofia, Plovdiv, Pleven and Varna, it should widen the net to cover other towns and regions of the country.
The assembled teams of 80 young trainers are facing the challenge of applying in practice what they have learned. Every team has already performed educational sessions with its classmates, few of them have widened their activity to other schools of their town, and it is able to instruct new trainers.
The Consultative Committees in the 4 towns will continue their work with the methodological assistance of BAFP and its centers in the country. The integration ensured will strengthen the connections between the teams and will assist a more active participation of the young people with special needs or in disadvatages position. The idea of the team of BAFP is that following the pilot introduction of the education of peers to peers education in Sofia, Plovdiv, Pleven and Varna, it should widen the net to cover other towns and regions of the country.
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