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Since November 2021 we are running a new family planning project, which is being
carried out in the Karonga district by the Pamoza Tingakwaniska's team, as previously
announced. As part of this project, educational events on the different topics of
sexual and reproductive health have been held in various communities in the project
area over the past months. As far as possible, members of existing local youth clubs
were also involved. At these events, which were also attended by local authorities
and representatives of youth and health centers, existing myths, prejudices and misconceptions
among young people were also discussed and attempts were made to counteract them.
For example, the particularly fatal misconception that a woman cannot get pregnant
the first time she has sex is unfortunately still widespread. Accordingly, any kind
of protection and contraception is dispensed with.
Furthermore, visits to various health centers were organized for a larger number
of young women and men, where participants could receive personal counselling, access
youth-friendly health services and receive support for family planning and voluntary
birth control.
Radio programmes and social media were also used to a greater extent to make the
messages of the family planning project accessible to a larger population. This included
producing and broadcasting 11 new radio programmes focusing on sexual and reproductive
health, the negative consequences of early pregnancies, HIV/AIDS prevention and the
impact of uncontrolled population growth.
In addition, a separate flyer on these topics was developed and printed in a print
run of 1,350 copies so far, which is distributed to the participants of the project
events.
In the course of this project, the Pamoza team had to realise that health centres,
where modern contraceptives are distributed and applied, do not have available the
necessary medical equipment that is fundamental for us, e.g. soap, iodine, disinfectants
or rubber gloves. The Pamoza team has therefore purchased missing equipment worth
about 2,500 euros and made it available to the health centres.
I was once a victim of teenage preg-nancy, I was humiliated and I dropped out of
school. But the support I got from Pamoza Tingakwaniska and my parents helped to
me realize that I can still achieve my dream. I went back to school now I have a
diploma in Community development and currently am volun-teering at Pamoza Tingakwaniska
Youth Organization so as to help young girls not to go through what I went through.
Milca Msimuko-T/A Kyungu Karonga
Pamoza Tingakwaniska projects have assisted me to be aware of my sexual reproductive
health rights. Now I know that I can go to government hospitals to access Family
planning and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) management services for free.
I was in the dark on these matters before the genesis of Pamoza Tingakwaniska Youth
Organization as information pertaining to SRHR was not well communicated and shared
in my community.
Keneth Lazeck - Kabale Youth Club Chairperson, T/A Mwakaboko, Karonga
