UGANDA: Lira Diocese Spearheads Youth Friendly Services
Deacon Isaac Ojok
The “Youth Friendly services” is an initiative spearheaded by HIV/AIDS Focal Point office Lira Diocese focusing on the provision of health education through outreach activities to the youths of Lira Diocese in various parishes.
This non-formal program is aimed at educating the youth on the various aspects of life and to ensure holistic development and growth among the young people in Lango sub -region.
The program which operates under Lira Diocesan Health Office is being coordinated by Sr. Winnie Talli a member of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church (MSMMC)
The nun who is the HIV/AIDS Focal Point person of Lira Diocese Health office is grateful to God for the activities she is implementing among the young people of Lira Diocese through outreach activities. They are taught to know how to live responsibly and faithfully especially the youths who are living together as partners with the aim to rebuild moral fiber in Christian families.
Furthermore, helping the youth in discovering their talents, career development among the young stars is another key fundamental areas being conducted in parishes in a bid to help them make right choices.
On practical skills, they have been taught how to make sanitary pads among others to aid them become self-reliant and to meet their demands and other basic needs in their communities.
Through local resource mobilization strategy, the program facilitators also teach the youths to promptly offer their support to the Church in facilitating the projects and other human capital development oriented programmes.
Under Youth and Adolescent health program, the participants are sensitized on complications related to teenage pregnancy and are warned of the associated health risks teenage mothers face. The young stars are also sensitized on the negative socio-economic impact teenage pregnancy has on the girls, families and communities.
This awareness creation will thus help the youth to know that they are at higher risk to get mental health problems such as depression, intense stress and pressure, if they become parents at early age and are likely to experience violence within their trial marriage.
On Alcoholism and family marital problem, the team made the youths to know that substance abuse can cause serious health problems.
The program is beneficial to the youths who have already participated in it. At Our Lady of Fatima Agwata Parish, where the programme was recently conducted, many youths appreciated it.
Mr. Molo Angelous, the youth leader at Agwata Parish who had the opportunity to attend the youth friendly services says the program has set the ground to reduce the prevalence of health risk behaviors among the youth and have a positive effect on daily life performance. He added that, the program also provides for them the opportunity to learn the importance of behaviors and skills they need to engage in a healthy lifestyle.
On the benefits of training young people, Judith Odur, the female youth leader and many others appreciates the knowledge acquired that will help them to develop self-confidence and successfully deal with significant life changes and challenges in society.
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