Youth Empowerment Project
Duration: 2021 - 2026
Background
The Youth Education Program (YEP) addressed critical reproductive health knowledge gaps among Ghanaian adolescents through school-based interventions. With high rates of teenage pregnancy, STIs, and child marriage threatening educational outcomes, the program delivered integrated Reproductive Health Education (RHE) to empower young people with essential life skills.
Strategy
The initiative employed a three-tiered approach:
1. Direct Student Engagement: Delivered structured RHE sessions covering self-esteem, values clarification, and health protection in 178 junior high schools and 8 senior high schools
2. Capacity Building: Trained 86 teachers (47 male, 39 female) and 48 district education officials to sustain the program
3. Innovative Outreach: Used the YOLO drama series as a discussion catalyst for sensitive topics like HIV prevention and substance abuse
Key Highlights
1. Reached 41,364 students (20,224 boys, 21,140 girls) with comprehensive RHE
2. Established peer education networks through cascading trainings for 484 participants
3. Engaged 9,941 SHS students (5,477 female, 4,464 male) in critical health discussions
4. Developed institutional capacity through:
a. Teacher training programs
b. District official workshops on Safe School implementation
c. Youth advocate leadership development
4. Created safe spaces for discussing sensitive health topics through multimedia tools
The program successfully combined formal education systems with youth-friendly approaches to deliver lasting reproductive health knowledge while building sustainable institutional support structures.