Promoting SRHRs in Schools & Communities

Sexual and reproductive health challenges facing young people in Zambia are early pregnancies, early
marriages, rape, and Gender Based Violence. Over 30 percent of 15-19 year old girls in Zambia have already
been pregnant or have had a child according to a UN joint statement released in 2013 and is still the same
currently. Adolescents face higher reproductive risks than older women. Pregnancy is the leading cause of
death for young women aged 15-19 worldwide with complications of childbirth and unsafe abortion being the
major risk factors. Girls aged 15-19 are twice as likely to die in childbirth as those in their 20s. Death and injury
rates are higher among infants born to young mothers who are less likely to get pre-natal care, and babies
born to very young mothers are most likely to be premature or underweight. Reproductive Health is often
linked to pregnancy, women often unique challenges to achieving the highest attainable standard of health.
National access to SRH (Sexual Reproductive Health) cannot be achieved without the realisation of gender
equality and women’s rights. Women are disproportionately affected by poverty, violence, a lack of access to
decision-making and political processes, and low social status, all of which arise from gender-based
discrimination and lead to disproportionate human rights abuses, including the right to health. Violations of
young people’s reproductive health rights are often deeply embedded in societal values pertaining to women’s
sexuality. Patriarchal concepts of women’s roles within the family mean that women are often valued based on
their ability to reproduce. Early marriages and pregnancies, repeated pregnancies spaced too closely together,
often as the result of efforts to produce male offspring because of the preference for sons, has devastating
impact on women’s health with sometimes fatal consequences.

The two year project shall empower 2000 young people in schools, communities and their support systems
with SRHRs and information so that they are safe, free, participating and making decisions in various
structures which involve their SRHRs. This shall be achieved through promotion of the safety and freedom of
young people to lead their lives according to their rights by engaging them, connecting them to like minded
peers and support systems, teaching them how to relate sustainably and also educate them on SRHRs
knowledge. At the end of the project the young people will have acquired essential SRHRs knowledge, their
communities will be safer for them to make right choices and they shall have improved relationships to their
communities and support systems for better SRHRs outcomes. 

The project shall contribute to existing efforts through three pathways which are Performance, Community Environment and Support Systems.

The pathway of “performance” shall empower young people to improve their abilities to perform (act) and use them to achieve their learning, development and life goals through advocacy, right choices, right actions and right decisions. Young people shall be taught and practice responsible behaviours which are appropriate for achieving required SRHRs outcomes.

The pathway of “Community Environment” seeks to improve communities’ environments and safeguarding culture to enhance SRHRs of young people and their participation. This will lead to a well functioning and safe communities where young people are safe and freely participate in SRHRs issues and other related issues affecting their wellbeing and health.

This pathway of “Support systems” seeks to improve the connectedness of young people to their support systems (schools, safeguarding, and mentorship) in the area of SRHRs. Young people shall learn how to connect and relate with their support systems for healthier and rewarding relationships for their wellbeing and health.

Young people are the key stakeholder in this project programming and as such shall be involved throughout. As rights holders they shall be sensitised how to get involved and also hold project
stakeholders accountable. 

The solution shall address the challenges through the following interventions:
(a) ENGAGE young people in SRHRs
(b) CONNECT (Link them to like minded peers and SRHRs support systems)
• Provide support through efforts within the framework of broad approaches that focus on information & preventive measures • Linking young people to support systems where they can get SRHR support in form of education, information, and counselling, SRHC (including counselling & medical care)
(c) LEARN (EDUCATE) – SRHRs knowledge (SRHRs clubs in schools and communities)
• Provision of sexual health information, education & support (e.g. counselling) to enhance personal relationships and quality of life (wellbeing and health)
• Develop leadership of young people to access information & services (to be visible champions of policies & programs that serve a large number of their peers)
• Teaching young people to advocate for their SRHRs
(d) ADVOCACY – Promoting improved and friendly policies, programs and practices
• Challenge harmful traditional norms and modify social & cultural patterns that arise from and perpetuate the notion that women are inferior to men.
• Advocacy for allocation of appropriate resources for support of Gender justice and SRHRs policies and programs .
The overall expected change is that young people are safe, free, participating and making decisions in various structures (family set up, work places and communities) which involve their SRHRs. This is because the young people will have acquired essential SRHRs knowledge, their communities will be safer for them to make right choices and they shall have improved relationships to their communities and support systems for better SRHRs outcomes.

Young people shall be included in the project team structure, project implementation and M&E activities for peer to peer interactions, learning and mentorship. During the project design we learnt a lot from young
people. For example, on the International Day of the Girl Child Campaign week, the young people discussed
issues around Gender Based Violence (GBV) and SRHRs affecting them both at schools and in their
respective communities.
Young people were consulted as the key stakeholders whom we collaborate with throughout the project cycle
and monitoring. As rights holders they shall be sensitised how to get involved and also hold project
stakeholders accountable.

Stakeholders’ analysis is the first step in the process of stakeholders’ collaboration plan and process. The
identified key stakeholders shall be engaged and invited to a stakeholders meeting where they shall be
sensitised about the benefits of the project and their respective roles. These meetings are meant to catalyse
stakeholders’ buy-in, interest and participation throughout the project. 
The organisation shall work with work existing government structures which the project will strengthen to be more effective and efficient towards realisation of the project goal and objectives. These shall continue in their obligations. The project shall strengthen operational and existing community structures for continued
sensitisation and support. Since key stakeholders (e.g. young people, communities) shall be engaged and
involved throughout the project cycle this shall increase the viability and sustainability of the project after the
grant period.

The solution is currently serving about 220 young people in 6 schools in Livingstone District of Southern Province, 3 schools in Lusaka District in Lusaka Province of Zambia. 

The solution is innovative both in model/ approach and the technology that shall be used to roll out the SRHRs programming to the whole country through physical (e.g. clubs in schools and communities) and virtual engagements (Online Platform) and also allow youths in Zambia to engage with other existing 3 million platform users in other Southern African Countries (e.g. South Africa). The approach shall enhance the three pillars for solution delivery which are connecting, relating (with peers and support systems), learning (about SRHRs policies/knowledge) and Acting based on knowledge acquired for their own good. The youth platform (FUNDZA Platform) enhances storytelling, literacy and also the solution among youths. The organisation shall roll out this platform to its reading clubs in schools and communities, enabling students to access a wide range of reading materials (e.g. SRHRs, stories) and educational content.

The FUNDZA Youth Platform is highly interactive and is already reaching millions of youths in Southern Africa and has been extended to Zambia through our partnership. The platform has already 3 million youths’ users and we shall register our targeted youths to participate and generate articles and educational materials related to SRHRs to reach to local and regional fellow youths.

The solution goal and objectives are as follows:

GOAL: Young people are safe, free, participating and making decisions in various structures (family set up, work places and communities) which involve their SRHRs

IMPACT GOAL (5 YEARS): 1 million Young people are safe, free, participating and making decisions in various structures (family set up, work places and communities) which involve their SRHRs

OBJECTIVE 1: 2000 young people have acquired essential knowledge and skills to achieve their SRHRs objectives by 31st December 2025

COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT 

 OBJECTIVE 2: Conducive and safe home and learning environments (in project areas) for young people to make right choices and practice their SRHRs by 31st December 2025

SUPPORT SYSTEMS (Learners & Project Support Systems), rewarding relationships 

 OBJECTIVE 3: 2000 young people have improved relationships to their (e.g. school or learning) communities and broader world for better SRHRs outcomes by 31st December 2025. 

The project shall contribute to existing efforts through three pathways which are Performance, Community Environment and Support Systems.

The pathway of “performance” shall empower young people to improve their abilities to perform (act) and use them to achieve their learning, development and life goals through advocacy, right choices, right actions and right decisions. Young people shall be taught and practice responsible behaviours which are appropriate for achieving required SRHRs outcomes.

The pathway of “Community Environment” seeks to improve communities’ environments and safeguarding culture to enhance SRHRs of young people and their participation. This will lead to a well functioning and safe communities where young people are safe and freely participate in SRHRs issues and other related issues affecting their wellbeing and health.

This pathway of “Support systems” seeks to improve the connectedness of young people to their support systems (schools, safeguarding, and mentorship) in the area of SRHRs. Young people shall learn how to connect and relate with their support systems for healthier and rewarding relationships for their wellbeing and health. 

The following are the five (05) Solution Team Members:

1. Project Coordinator - Numba S.

2. Project Officer - Josephine Lichaha (Ms)

3. Monitoring & Evaluation Officer - Polymath Sijabala (Mr)

4. Communications & Advocacy Officer - Patricia Ngebe Kahongo (Ms)

5. Finance Officer - Clement Masialeti (Mr)

The organisation has been working on the solution since 2017 arising from voices of learners during advocacy days (e.g. World Read Aloud Day, International Day of The Girl. Literacy Events - LITFESTS) and Literacy Clubs Sessions in various schools we have been implementing our programming. This showed gaps in communities and the need to develop a solution to mitigate the SRHRs challenges in schools and communities. 

The organisation shall ensure that all the key stakeholders and project staff commit to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) values before commencement of the project. The organisation structurally and operation wise promotes diversity and inclusion. Therefore, none of the rights holders shall be excluded because of their status, beliefs, practices, culture, sexual orientation, political or religious affiliations. To strengthen its values of inclusion and diversity the organisation on 01st June 2022 rebranded to its new name “ReachAll”. The project shall reach every human being living in the targeted areas and also those affected by the project challenges. It is not within the project scope or organisation’s mission to exclude any rights holders.

The following shall be Diversity, Equity and Inclusion conditions and activities for the project:

(a) Sensitisation of all key project stakeholders about the DEI values in order to promote sense of belonging and easy access to services according to one of the project needs (ACCESS).

(b) Commitment to the values of DEI by all project stakeholders identified in the Stakeholders’ Analysis. Project staff shall sign to DEI principles and to confidentiality.

(c) The Baseline research/ survey shall identify the most marginalised and vulnerable groups in the project provinces for inclusion in all aspects of the project.

(d) DEI principles to be followed in project design, planning, implementation and monitoring as project scope is not to exclude anyone but to promote access to health care.

APPROACH

1. Advocacy: ReachAll advocates for rights and inclusive, friendly services of support systems for rights holders (disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalised young people)

2. Forms Young People’s Proficiency Clubs as change agents. The cubs are Literacy, SRHRs and Entrepreneurship in schools and communities

3. We have been building capacities of rights holders (children, young people) through mentorship and training.

4. We shall use Virtual Platform for storytelling, information sharing and engagements

SERVICES

1.     MENTORSHIP

2.     TRAINING

3.     ADVOCACY

WHY OUR SERVICES ARE NEEDED

The young people need SRHRs knowledge, skills and also access to SRHRs services and information to empower them for improved decision making.

The organisation shall work with existing government structures which the project will strengthen to be more effective and efficient towards realisation of the project goal and objectives. These shall continue in their obligations. The project shall strengthen operational and existing community structures for continued sensitisation and support. Since key stakeholders (e.g. young people, communities) shall be engaged and involved throughout the project cycle this shall increase the viability and sustainability of the project after the grant period.