www.nationalyouthcommission.sl

SEXUAL AND REPRUDUCTIVE HEALTH (SRH)

YOUTH VIOLENCE &HIV/AIDS

The Ministry of Youth Affairs has worked very closely with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to take Sexual and Reproductive Health information to young people out of schools. An Act of Parliament was passed into law in September 2009 for the establishment of a National Youth Commission in Sierra Leone. The purpose of the Commission was to maximize the welfare and wellbeing of young people not only in the areas of employment and empowerment but also taking into account their Sexual and Reproductive Health. The Commission is now fully operational and thus consolidating the efforts of the Ministry of Youth Affairs which it receives supervision from the Ministry.
Last year the National Youth Commission implemented an aspect of the Multisectoral Programme for Adolescents and young people in Sierra Leone. Primarily, the National Youth Commission was concerned with disseminating Sexual and Reproductive Health information among adolescents and young people in ghettos and other youth set-ups while at the same time transforming these youth ghettos into Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Wisdom clubs. In parallel to this activity, the Commission also established Sexual Reproductive Health Youth Action Clubs with the sole responsibility of promoting SRH information among their peers and their respective communities. These Clubs were set up from Youth Organizations registered with the National Youth Commission and whose activities are well know to promote youth development and empowerment.
NUMBER OF YOUTH GHETTOS AND HANGOUTS IDENTIFIED
A Total of 80 youth ghettos and hangouts were identified in the        Western Area Urban (Freetown)
20 youth from different youth organizations in the East, Central and West of Freetown were engaged to conduct a baseline survey by administering questionnaires to selected youth in the various ghettos
Five youth ghettos were selected from this number for the project
A total of 75 youth were drawn from the selected youth ghettos

1. CAMP SOLOJAH-DWARZAK
2. BLACK STREET FAMILY- BROOKFIELDS (STADIUM CAR PARK)
3. 247 GHETTO-KISSY
4. LONG BENCH GHETTO- GRASSFIELD, LUMLEY
5. ZION GHETTO- KISSY

SUCCESSES

1. Larger number of youth ghettos and hangouts were identified in the Western Area Urban
2.  There was willingness on the part of the ghettos and hangouts to be transformed into Sexual Reproductive Health promotion clubs
3.  High level of SRH awareness raised among youth in the ghettos
4.  Opportunity for NAYCOM and UNFPA to reach out to ghetto youth with their plans for them.
5.  Knowledge and attitude of young people in the ghetto towards HIV/AIDS and other STIs increased significantly
6. Young people now involved in issues of that nature that has to do with them directly

This year, the National Youth Commission will be implementing the same programme though this time with a very different approach. There are also plans to conduct similar baseline survey in Bombali and to establish and train Wisdom Club members on SRH issues as those in the Western Area Urban. Additionally, the National Youth Commission with the support of the UNFPA through the Multi-sectoral Programme hopes to pilot an empowerment strategy for already established Wisdom Club members in the Western Area. This programme leans towards providing artisanal placement opportunities for two (2) willing members of each of the established Wisdom Clubs nominated by the entire Wisdom Club members. This programme calls for the training of these selected Wisdom Club members in various skills such as

carpentry, Masonry, auto mechanic, tailoring etc

.