Organising school based AYRH programmes
For successful school-based activities, it is important that you work with the teachers and students themselves in each particular school (Figure 13.4). Initial discussion with some of the teachers and the students could give you ideas on the topics you need to focus on and the best strategies to employ. Remember that you need to tailor the information that you provide to students according to their age. You can use the various promotional strategies that you learned in the Health Education, Advocacy and Community Mobilisation Module and in Study Session 12 of this Module to reach young people who are still in school.
Name some suitable strategies for reaching young people in school.
Most schools have clubs organised to respond to selected thematic areas or topics like an environmental health club and anti-AIDS clubs. A suitable strategy would be to visit the anti-AIDS club and work with young people there.
If the schools have already established clubs, it is a good opportunity for you to reach the students in the schools through the existing clubs. The anti-AIDS club is appropriate for dealing with AYRH issues. If the schools do not have clubs, you can help them establish a club that can work on AYRH in the school.
How would you help the school establish a club if it doesn't have one?
You can do this by a holding an initial discussion with the school officials, biology teachers, and student representatives from each grade. They can mobilise the students to be members of the club. Your role will be to educate the club members and they will work on most of the promotional activities.
It is good to assess on a regular basis the changes that have been brought about by your school-based interventions. You can do this assessment by asking questions in the same way that you did when you held your initial discussions with the teachers and the students. Asking the club leaders how frequently they meet, how many of the members are girls, how many are boys, what specific promotional activities they have been doing, what challenges they have faced and what type of support they need from you will help you to gain a better understanding of the value of your school-based interventions (Figure 13.5). It is a good idea to assess the activities every three months because this will give you important information to help you to plan your next activities.