06 Nov 2019

Women Against Rape (WAR), Botswana Family Welfare Association (BOFWA) and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Africa Trust (SAT) have embarked on a campaign dubbed Teen Wise.

The objective of the campaign, which was launched in Maun recently, was to provide youth friendly health services.

It offered education on sexual reproductive issues, condom distribution and demonstration, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) screening and HIV testing. 

An official from WAR, Mr Bangwe Chalebgwa, explained in an interview that the teen wise project aimed at reducing high teenage pregnancy rate in Maun as well as help young people avoid HIV infection and STIs.

The project, he said, was funded by SAT Botswana, an organisation that works with communities and civil society organisations, to mobilise and strengthen capacity to respond to the HIV pandemic, improve sexual and reproductive health and rights.

He appreciated that the youth had responded positively to the campaign. Tthey came in large numbers to access health services, which he said was a sign that they were in need of friendly health services.

He said they used teen wise application to attract youth to register on Facebook before the campaign started.

Mr Chalebgwa also revealed that the demand for youth friendly health services was high in Maun. They had two facilities offering such services being Matshwane clinic and BOFWA.

He highlighted that teenagers were vulnerable since some of them fell pregnant at an early age.

Mr Chalebgwa said their intention was to embark on the campaign every Tuesday in an effort to bring services closer to young people.

Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Officer from SAT, Ms Millicent Sethaile explained that they had a long term partnership with WAR to tackle issues of sexual reproductive health among young people.

SAT, she said had been funding WAR since 2012 and appreciated the positive results that were coming forth through the partnership, citing the teen wise project, which she said had attracted a lot of attention.

SAT, she said, was a regional campaign donor that operated in five countries of Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Africa. 

Through its funding, the organisation provided sexual reproductive health services focusing on three things; education on health services, counselling and STIs screening and HIV testing.

Ms Sethaile said SAT operated online to mobilise young people, and going forward, they want to extend teen wise projects to other areas across the country to reach more young people.

 

She said they wanted to increase access to health services and urged young people to take advantage of the project, as well as to educate themselves on sexual reproductive health issues. ENDS