#PEA2019 Week One Newsletter

W W W. R E A C H A H A N D . O R G

7 TH - 1 1 TH J A N U A R Y

D AY O N E D AY F O U R D AY F I V E

D AY T H R E E

WEEK ONE

D AY T W O

• L E A D E R S H I P T R A I N I N G • C O M M U N I C AT I O N S K I L L S • N E T W O R K I N G O P P O R T U N I T I E S • I N T E R N S H I P O P P O R T U N I T I E S • F U N , L AU G H T E R & B E YO U N G • M E N TO R S H I P • S R H R I N F O R M AT I O N & S K I L L S • P R E S E N TAT I O N S K I L L S

CO MMU NICAT IO N S K ILLS

F UN, L AU GH T E R & B E YO U NG

PRE S E NTAT IO N SKI LLS

S RH R INFO RMAT IO N & S K ILLS

INTERN SHI P O P P O RT U NIT I E S

INTRODUCTION It’s a new year, new us situation, yeyi! Our 6th Annual Peer Educators Academy kicked off on Friday January 4th, 2019 with a facilitators orientation meeting led by Jo Reinders, the former Technical Advisor Youth and Sexual Health in Europe and countries in development at Rutgers, who facilitators on how to effectively conduct sessions. The sessions kicked off on Monday January 7th.

The first week, was for introductions of participants and the course, setting expectations. The catch was in the introductions of social inclusion for young people with disabilities. Here’s how week one rolled out.

M ENTORSHI P

LE ADE RS H IP T RAINING

NETWORKI N G OP P O RT U N I T I E S

DAY ONE The lead facilitator Amon Mulyowa, a Social and Behaviour Change Communication Specialist at Communication Consults Uganda, Sexual and Reproductive Health and a Meaningful Youth Participation Master Trainer who set the pace and mobilised the participants into choosing the course leaders for the academy. The class rules were set to ensure maximum discipline, concentration and participation of each and everyone.

We later went into a session on understanding what Reach A Hand Uganda (RAHU) does, where we work, our values, how we do our work and the Peer Educators Academy. This session was led by Maureen Andinda, our Strategy and Business Development Manager who further introduced the RAHU team members.

Frances Aanyu, an alumni from the 2016 class and now a program assistant at RAHU, shared her experiences while in the academy where she described it as a journey of growth and one never remains the same. To wrap the day, an assignment was given in preparation for the facilitator coming the following day.

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DAY TWO All day two sessions were spent on understanding the Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (AYSRHR) Ugandan context led by Zaitun Nabaterega, an ASRHR Expert. In the session, participants were taken through the adolescent transition continuum framework which led them into understanding the various SHRH needs of the three levels of adolescents i.e early adolescents (11-13), adolescents (14-17) and young adolescents (18-25).

We further discussed different perceptions by society on who a young person is. From the discussion, there was a recurring understanding that society views young people as disrespectful, sexually active and immoral to mention but a few. The facilitator then cautioned peer educators that they play an important role in changing this social construction to making society believe that young people are also productive and can bring positive change to society.

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DAY THREE Ibrahim Nkonge our Events and Experiential Officer led the session on Social Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC). In his presentation, Ibrahim reminded peer educators that their role is to out communicate and change behaviour. Therefore, there’s need to avoid poor means of communication by ensuring that one uses the right language to communicate so that the message being communicated is simple and precise.

He then went on to define social behavioral change as a process and starts from one point to another and one should note that how are they going to influence behavior through the communication they make. The stages of the process are; precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance and advocacy. The class was divided into 6 groups basing on the respective stages each conferring about what a peer educator is supposed to do at every stage.

The day came to an end with an inspirational talk from Emmanuel Ikubese our cultural Icon from Nigeria who is an actor, entertainer film director, singer and businessman. His theme of discussion was “The Journey of Life” which left a great number of peers knowing their purpose in life,their passion and prize attached to each and everything they do.

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DAY FOUR Participants were taken through a session on Meaningful Youth Participation (MYP) led by Racheal Monica Achen and Annah Kukundakwe who are Peer Educators Academy alumni from the 2015 and 2016 classes respectively. The session focused on introducing the participants to the concept, principles, checklists and idea behind MYP as well as the importance of Youth-Adult partnership.

The second session was on social inclusion by Erick Wakoko a disability inclusion facilitator from Light for the World .This focused on persons with disabilities and as peer educators there’s need to change the mind set people have about PWDs by looking at the abilities and potential they have and not focusing on the disability. He summed up by noting that for social inclusion to happen there’s need for attitude change.

This left the peers understanding how to relate with PWDs and that they can also perform and deliver like anyone else.

The day ended with an inspirational talk from Kennedy Zziwa Katebalirwe a fashion icon, hair stylist and dresser, CEO of Hair by Zziwa, a hair clinic in Uganda and a mental health advocate. He shared how far he has come from dealing with drug addiction to a sober being owning his own hair studio famously known as Hair by Zziwa. This left the peers seeing a different perspective of life and they learnt something new and were inspired.

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DAY FIVE The last day of the week kicked off with our very own Bashir Kabuye who took the participants through a session on personal hygiene. He asked the them to practically demonstrate how one can appropriately wash their hands, brush teeth, how to use a bathing sponge e.t.c. This is to keep them on the right track on what to do and enhance their personal hygiene.

Eddie D. Okila an Entrepreneur, television broadcaster, marketing enthusiast, leadership coach, Health & Fitness coach, and CEO House of Talent then conducted a session on personal hygiene and grooming. In his presentation, he mentioned that personal image goes beyond dressing and etiquette to how you handle relationships with people. What you do and fail to do, affects others.

Liz Kakooza a Mental Health Advocate & Founder of Tumaini Foundation, then conducted a session on Mental Health Advocacy. In her presentation, she mentioned that mental health includes our emotional, psychological, & social well-being and therefore affects how we think, feel and act. She then went into giving causes of depression, different types of mental illness, signs and symptoms of mental different illnesses and where to seek for help in case of need.

We wrapped up the week with a dance session led by Antonio Bukhar. If you think week one was fun, look forward to week two, because it is all this and more! #PEA2019 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

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