The school and youth club program was established in December 2022. The aim of the school and youth club program is to address school related sexual and gender-based violence, build a network of student activists who can contribute actively to our advocacies in their schools and communities. Through our school and youth club program, we organize safe spaces for girls and provide violence prevention education (including relationship and sex education) to youth. We address topics such as recognizing SGBV, developing a personal safety plan, support services for survivors, sexual rights and citizenship, to name a few.
We work in a context where there is very little violence prevention education among youth in Sierra Leone. Providing Sexual and reproductive health education as a stand-alone program does not prevent violence or adequately respond to the needs of survivors. On an annual basis, there are nearly 4000 reported cases of violence against women and girls. In 2019, the government of Sierra Leone, Dr. Julius Maada Bio declared a state of public health emergency on rape and sexual violence. In his speech, he pronounced rape a national epidemic which is taking a drastic toll on his human development agenda, since over 70 percent of survivors are underage girls 15 years and below. The need for violence prevention education is ever growing. Our school and youth club program ensure that boys and girls are informed and have a share in addressing sexual and gender-based violence.
We partner with schools to reach adolescents and youth. Currently, we are in partnership with five schools in Western Urban and Western Rural districts; the International School Limited, Freetown Secondary School for Girls, Beacon High School, War Wounded Academy and Providence International High School. We recruit teachers in our partner schools to facilitate school club activities. We work with partners such as the Family Support Unit of the Sierra Leone Police, legal experts and other activists to support our advocacy and violence prevention education program.
The afterschool program provides an opportunity for members of the school and youth club program to contribute actively to our advocacies in their schools and communities. The afterschool program was introduced in 2023 to foster networking and collaboration on projects amongst members of the Allies in Development school and youth Club community. A further essential role of the program is to provide a platform for youth to express their views on violence against women and girls through essays, poems, music, art and community sensitization.
MEET THE WINNERS OF THE 2023 AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM
