#LifeInMyShoes 3rd Annual Youth Health Camp Report

REPORT

Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Table of Contents Purpose of the Youth Health Camp

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Objectives of the Camp 6 Topics / Agenda discussed 8 Teachers’ SRH training 10 Focused Group Discussions 11 Activities carried out 12 Outputs of the Camp 19 Online Communications at the camp 20 Challenges encountered 21 Conclusion 21

RAHU owes the success of this camp to our dedicated

FUNDERS, PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS.

KIBO

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FOUNDATION

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Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Purpose of the Youth Health Camp

The Annual Youth Health camp which was held in May attracted a diverse number of young people and stakeholders from various schools across Uganda. The camp was organized to allow young people to interact and acquire information on ASRH which was delivered during Focused Group Discussions, quizzes, games and sports and also through dance theatre competitions where partner schools to Reach A Hand Uganda took part. The camp was aimed at imparting skills such as teamwork and communication to the participants. They interacted with SRH service providers, civil society partners, teachers as well as peer educators. A pertinent discussion during the camp was on creating awareness on the Adolescent Health Policy and demystifying myths and misconceptions on Family Planning to an age appropriate group of the camp participants.

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Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Inspire young people to take charge of their lives, set goals and work towards achieving them.

Increase the knowledge and life skills on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (ASRHR) among young people especially girls.

Increase accessibility to SRHR information and services through partnerships with other SRHR implementing organizations to set up a hub for the young people where they can seek information, services and resources.

Create an environment where young people build networks with each other and interact freely.

Objectives of the Camp

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Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

The Adolescent Health Policy

Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Life skills

Growth and Development

Trust, school - life balance, teamwork, determination and concentration, decision making.

Menstrual Hygiene

Topics discussed

Family planning and contraception Involved selection of age appropriate participants.

Alcohol, Drug and substance abuse

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Effective Communication HIV/AIDS

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Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

FOCUSED GROUP DISCUSSIONS

TEACHERS’ SRH TRAINING

The diverse topics were discussed during 4 different Focused Group Discussions that were carried out by numerous groups of young people, who included; RAHU Peer Educators, DSW Peer Educators and contribution from varied partners.

The groups were organized in an open and interactive style.

A special training for 30 teachers and school health focal personnel was carried out in an effort to help them understand the challenges faced by the young people in their respective schools and how best they can address them. Topics that were tackled during the teachers’ training included a detailed introduction to Behavioral Change Communication, setting of values and goals,

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life skills, body changes of young adolescents as well as hygiene.

Activities carried out

Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

The camp schedule had a variety of activities that were meant to actively engage the participants and add a component of fun, entertainment and engaged learning to the program. These activities included;

Aerobics

Community Outreach

This was done every morning at 6:00 am by the participants and

Together with the Youth truck from DSW Uganda that

it was led by Kyuka Youth Outreach - a youth led organization that

mobilised people, the participants were able to take part

uses dance and the arts to empower young people. A combination

in a community outreach in the nearby area of Nsangi

of dance movements, stretching and fast paced music was used

town where they undertook activities such as clean up

to include exercise in the 6 day camp.

exercises and sensitization of the community on the importance of living in a clean and safe environment. Safe Water purification awareness was conducted by UHMG

Youth Village This was aimed at equipping the camp participants with further skills such as teamwork, leadership, communication, creative learning, computer literacy among others. Partners that facilitated the Youth Village included; KiBo Foundation, DSW Uganda, Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum (UYAHF), Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI), Team Building Uganda and Livara cosmetics.

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under its brand - Aquasafe.

HIV Testing and Counseling

Games and Sports

Naguru Teenage Center provided expert HCT services for

Various sports and games were organized to keep the participants

the participants during the camp. A designated testing

entertained and actively engaged in camp sessions. Sports such

area was set up for those who wanted to get information

as football, swimming, basketball and volleyball were played.

on their HIV status. During the community outreach,

Partners such as Team Building Uganda, Tackle Africa, Cheza

HIV Testing and Counselling was carried out for the

and The Royal Life Saving Society facilitated the sports sessions

community members of Nsangi Town Council. A total of

with interactive and educative strategies for playing the different

156 people were tested for HIV.

sports.

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Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Interaction with Inspirational Speakers

Dance Theatre Competitions

At different times of the day, the participants had the opportunity to listen to a myriad of speakers in multiple industries and backgrounds who shared their stories, experiences and nuggets of wisdom for the participants to pick from, learn and relate to their own individual stories. Some of the speakers who attended the camp included; i. Mona Herbert - County Director, DSW Uganda ii. Nana Kagga - Petroleum Engineer, Tullow Oil and Founder, Savannah Moon Films iii. Maxima Nsimenta, Founder, Livara Cosmetics iv. Dr. Naboth Cole, President, Hope for Persons with Disabilities v. Esther Kalenzi, Founder, 40 Days over 40 smiles vi. Helen Nangonzi, Standard Chartered Bank vii. Reverend Mugume Rukundo, Church of Uganda

These were led by the team from Tabu

viii. Nuba Elamin, Founder, Buqisi Ruux

Flo, a dynamic and energetic dance company. 12 schools took part in the competitions and these were; Hana Mixed

Nana Kagga

Maxima Nsimenta

Mona Herbert

Dr. Naboth Cole

School, Mariam High School, Kisubi High School, Bishop Cipriano Day, Bishop Cipriano Boarding, Kinawa High School

that the boy can look after

Kawempe Campus, Mbogo High School,

her as they don’t want her

Bethany High School, Lowell Girls School,

at home influencing her younger

Kasengejje Secondary School, Sir Apollo

siblings and being a financial burden.

Kaggwa Secondary School and Kinawa High School Kasangati Campus. Each of

Child Marriage: A family sacrifices their young

the schools was assigned a Tabu Flo team

daughter for financial gain.

member to support them in the practice

Nuba Elamin

Esther Kalenzi

Rev. Mugume Rukundo

Helen Nangonzi

of their routines. The schools were tasked

Drug Abuse: The possible consequences of not having sound

with creatively picking an SRH theme and

mental judgement due to drug usage and making bad choices

depicting it in a dance routine. The themes

and the possible consequence of being raped due to drug usage.

from which the competing schools chose were;

Unsafe Abortion: A Student is involved in early sex and gets pregnant, but is scared she will be expelled from school and her

Teacher to student relationships: The

parents will disown her so she decides to have an unsafe abortion.

teacher teaches students in class but always pays special attention to the

Teenage pregnancy: How a girl manages to keep her pregnancy

girl that sits in front. The teacher is HIV

, give birth and go back to school.

positive but he doesn’t know it.

The competing schools had an opportunity to showcase their

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Teenage pregnancy & Student to Student

dance routines to the participants at the camp on the 4th night.

Relationships: A female student gets

Before a panel of judges who comprised of; Phionah Naigaga,

pregnant by a male student and her parents

Samuel Ibanda, Jonas Byaruhanga and Segawa Patrick, the

bring her to school with her belongings so

schools displayed their routines from which the judges awarded

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Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Activities carried out

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Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

OUTPUTS OF THE CAMP

While we anticipated 500 participants, the camp successfully brought together 631 participants from across East Africa who interacted with other youth, teachers, facilitators, peer educators and partners to acquire information on SRH. The youth got access to youth friendly health services from experienced partners like Naguru Teenage Center. They were able to access services like HIV testing and counselling (156 tested), water sanitation sessions from the Uganda Health Marketing Group.

Information on SRH was delivered to the youth participants through 4 Peer Learning sessions carried

marks basing on the criteria outlined below;

out by Reach A Hand Uganda peer educators and DSW peer educators. 30 teachers from the respective

Script submitted; The script submitted has

schools that attended the camp were imparted with

an SRHR idea, idea is well explained and innovative

Appearance;

(Total Score: 20).

Neatness, presentation, uniformity

SRHR message communication; School

efforts and confidence (Total

participants have an idea about SRHR, Idea

Score: 10).

information and skills on ASRH so that they can effectively assist their students with any sexuality challenges they may encounter while at school.

presentation is innovative and well articulated (Total Score: 20).

Formations and Transition; Variety, effective use of space, floor, spacing and continuity (Total

Adjudicator’s Adjudicator

message feels

interpretation;

message

is

Score: 10).

being

understood by audience and the script is

Synchronicity & Timing; Togetherness, unity of movement

followed. (Total Score: 10).

with music, body control. Time spent on stage MUST be 15 minutes (Total Score: 10).

Choreography; Original, exciting, flows well and is innovatively incorporated. (Total Score:

Artistic Impression & Music Interpretation; Moves flow with

10).

music, body expression (Total Score: 10).

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Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Online Communications at the camp

Challenges Encountered

The communications team from Reach A Hand Uganda was able to amplify the events

Some session leads cancelled at the last minute which distorted the camp schedule.

of the camp by posting and streaming minute by minute updates of the camp ongoings.

The internet connection was slow thereby limiting on the rate of live updates.

The #LifeInMyShoes hashtag was the online update feed where all updates from the 3rd Annual Youth Health Camp were posted on the social media platforms. The updates came from the different camp activities which were happening at the camp mainly through the focus group discussions, youth village workshops and the dance theater competitions.

Conclusion The 3rd annual Youth Health Camp under the theme, “Life in my shoes” was an immense

#LifeInMyShoes hashtag was the online update feed where all updates from the 3rd Annual Youth Health Camp were posted on social media platforms. The updates came from the different camp activities which were happening at the camp.

success due to the invaluable support from all our partners, schools and parents that saw us reach 631 young people from across Eastern Africa. This year’s theme was able to successfully evoke thinking of the young people about what stories they want to write on their life’s journey and critically reflect on how their Sexual Reproductive Health impacts their overall wellbeing.

Keyhole tracker showing the hashtag activity online

The 3rd annual Youth Health Camp under the theme, “Life in my shoes” was an immense success

A screenshot showing #GYMO and #LifeInMyShoes topping the trending list. Both hashtags were used during the camp

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A Facebook post and corresponding analytics on the hashtag

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Life In My Shoes Annual Youth Health Camp Report

Reach A Hand Uganda, Plot 7502, Block 244, Heritage Village (Kitaranga) Kansanga, along Ggaba Road +256 (0) 414 697 037 info@reachahand.org www.reachahand.org /reachahand @reachahand /reach_a_hand /company/reach-a-hand-uganda /reach-a-hand /reachahanduganda /reachahanduganda /REACHAHANDUGANDA

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