Yo! Lead project report published

After four years, the project has more than a hundred trained youth leaders and peer educators from schools and communities in the three provinces who are knowledgeable on SRH issues, effective communication, project management, and leadership development.

The end of project document of the Yo! Lead project has been published.

The Yo!Lead or Youth on the Lead” is a leadership program of the VPHCS for youth–initiated adolescent reproductive health advocacy and services in the provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Occidental Negros, Philippines that aims to promote increased practice of healthy reproductive and sexual health (RSH) behaviors among the youth.

It is funded by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA- International).

The 40-page book synthesizes the highlights of the project which started in July 2006 and ended in June 2010. It also includes a summary of the sexual and reproductive health initiatives of 22 community-based youth organizations and seven school-based youth organizations in selected schools and communities in the three provinces with which the project worked. Best practices of four organizations and the Youth for Rights Network (Y4R) are also featured in the book. Various literary contributions are also included.

Harnessing their leadership and initiatives, the Yo! Lead project provided funds for the organizations to design and implement projects that increased the awareness and practice of healthy SRH behaviors and reproductive rights and increased access to, and utilization of rights-based SRH services among the youth in their localities. The project also provided static clinic and mobile health services and contraceptive commodities.

After four years, the project has more than a hundred trained youth leaders and peer educators from schools and communities in the three provinces who are knowledgeable on SRH issues, effective communication, project management, and leadership development. The project has reached out to more than 17,000 youth members through various worthwhile activities and experiences including needs assessments, focused group discussions, trainings on leadership and reproductive health, youth camps, peer educators’ trainings and other educational gatherings. All youth organizations have tremendously enhanced the awareness and practice of safe sexual and reproductive health behaviors, promoted reproductive rights, and increased access to and utilization of rights-based SRH services among their youth populace.

The project has proven that the youth themselves must be empowered to recognize and act upon their needs in order to sustain successful youth SRH programs. The project has also proven that such programs can work much better when the youth leaders receive inputs on technical concerns and leadership and are supported by a network of services and support from other stakeholders in the communities that meet their needs.

The Yo! Lead is truly a project developed and owned by the Visayan youth that responds to their very own issues and concerns.