Bamenda III Council solicits CBC Health Services’ Expertise to drill Youths on Holiday on Inclusive Health
The Bamenda III Council of the Northwest region of Cameroon works hard to bring development to the community through youth empowerment programs. As part of their corporate social responsibility, on an annual basis the Council provides opportunities to students within the municipality to do holiday jobs which serve as a means for the students to raise funds for their tuition and other school needs.
This year, the Council engaged 300 youths (4% being those with impairment) in varied activities within the Municipality. In addition, the Council invited its corporate partner, the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services to educate and build the capacity of these young people on several development and health related issues.
Taking advantage of this golden opportunity, the CBCHS through its Equality Project collaborated with the Socia Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disability (SEEPD) program to provide inclusive health education with the use of a Sign Language Interpreter to facilitate access to information for deaf youths who took part in the event. The education focused on HIV Prevention, Care and Treatment, Sexual and Reproductive Health, prevention of Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs) and the devastating effects of peer pressure on young people. These young people were also screened and tested for HIV and STIs and those within the ages 10-14 whose parents consented for them to be vaccinated received the HPV vaccine.
Thanks to the MoU signed between the Bamenda III council and the CBCHS through its Socio-Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SEEPD) program, the Equality Project was able to contribute in closing the knowledge gaps in HIV and SRH. This was alluded by the participants.
Soma, an adolescent with hearing impairment, expressed his gratitude to the project team for intentionally including them in the knowledge transfer activities by engaging a Sign Language Interpreter. He told the team that he and his friends learned things about HIV they were oblivious to, and were reminded of things they never deemed important. On the other hand, the project was able to understand the thoughts and experiences of these youths through the interactive exercise on the influence of peer pressure in their lives. Many anonymously shared on the devastating effects of peer pressure in their decision making. It is expected that the knowledge gained by the young people will empower them make informed decisions related to their sexual health.