13. Mainstreaming SRHR in Education (USAID, Senegal)
“HIV and AIDS mainstreaming should result in the epidemic becoming part and parcel of the routine functions and functioning of a sector ...as an integral part of the planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring activities”. UNAIDS 2008
Multi-sectoral approaches that engage government agencies, communities, and youth are vital for sustainable change. The Population Council and Frontiers together have worked across different policy areas, utilising a strong research base and government partnerships to catalyse change in adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) policy and practice. Regional research pilots informed the creation of a nationwide programme between 1999 and 2007. The majority of funding was provided by USAID.
Problems addressed
- The need for a well informed, effective and integrated approach to adolescent SRHR at a local and national level in Senegal;
- The need for a collaborative response to SRHR policy, involving several agencies for co-ordinated and greater impact.
Objectives
- To institutionalise youth reproductive health at a local level;
- To create a favourable policy and funding environment for adolescent reproductive health (ARH) at the national level;
- To scale up the intervention in Senegal and in neighboring states.
Youth as beneficiaries
Over eight years, 28,000 young people in three regions (urban areas) were reached by peer education. Young people were also survey respondents, and recipients of the SRHR education and care that was influenced.
Youth as partners
Seventy adolescents were recruited to act as peer educators. Those receiving training included at-risk youth such as house servants, shoeshine boys, car washers, and teenage mothers.
Process
- Frontiers undertook a comprehensive operations research study from 1999- 2003 assessing different approaches to adolescent reproductive health in three districts of Senegal.
- Outreach and advocacy involved community institutions and resources (including religious organisations, women’s groups, public events, dramas, and community meetings, among others).
- Staff of government ministries participated in all phases of the design and implementation; youth, community, and religious leaders were key actors in providing information and discussing sensitive issues.
- Based on the outcomes and cultural situation of Senegalese youth, a programme of work was formulated incorporating formal and informal educational approaches and a core curriculum.
- Training of professionals in education and health, as well as for 70 peer educators was conducted, who then delivered the curriculum initially in the three pilot districts.
- The peer education methodology was particularly used to target out-of-school and other excluded youth.
- The Ministry of Health was influenced by the findings of the study, and partnered with Frontiers. In 2004 they created a 13-partner steering committee for inter-ministerial co-ordination and technical assistance was offered to the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Youth, Ministry of Sports, youth-serving organisations and development partners.
- Government ministries were offered support to develop adolescent SRHR action plans which were submitted to development partners for funding for scaling up.
- Following this the initiative was scaled up in all nine regions of the country.
Results
- Findings from the initial studies showed that the interventions addressed a recognised need of incorporating SRHR into broader education strategies.
- Community response was overwhelmingly positive. Local civic and religious leaders (critical gatekeepers for social change) strongly supported the adolescent SRHR initiatives and played major roles in the intervention activities.
- Uptake of materials by UN bodies and Save the Children (in 18 countries).
- Endorsement of the approach by WHO; replication efforts in other Francophone African countries.
Projected results
- Mainstreaming by Ministry of Education of adolescent SRHR;
- Incorporation of learning into initiatives by Ministry of Sport and Ministry of Justice;
- Integration of three adolescent SRHR indicators in the government management information system.
- Adoption of key programme documents ‘Curriculum grandir en harmonie’ and ‘Orientation of health providers in adolescent health’ as official documents.
Lessons learned
- Having staff train and supervise volunteer and professional networks and undertake administration for the thematic group on adolescent SRHR is crucial, as is having project managers and field staff.
- Mainstreaming efforts are still plagued by considerable misconceptions about the nature of the change that is envisaged. The idea that cross-sectoral issues (such as HIV/AIDS or youth) are the responsibility of a single ministry, person, focal point or unit continues to prevail.
- Mainstreaming requires strong leadership, co-ordination and the tracking of outcomes of multiple sectors by a central authority in order to avoid fragmentation.54
Potential challenges
- Co-ordinating ministries of differing sizes and status.
- Addressing the needs of married adolescents (an underserved group in adolescent SRHR).
For further information contact:
Population Council Senegal, info.senegal@popcouncil.org
- 54. UNAIDS, World Bank, UNDP 2005
Additional Resources:
1) Operations Research Toolkit: http://bit.ly/9WWrIM
2) ‘FRONTIERS’ Programme Legacy findings: http://bit.ly/dl2DlO
3) Multisectoral ARH Interventions: The Scale Up Process in Kenya and Senegal: http://bit.ly/a7SPRW
4) UNFPA/EU Reproductive Health Imitative for Youth in Asia: http://bit.ly/9E3dZ3
5) Toolkit for Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in Education (UNAIDS 2008): http://bit.ly/bepYLv
Themes: Sexual and Reproductive Health
Youth Engagement Lens: Beneficiaries, Partners
Operational Area: Implementation
