Deepak Foundation - INTERVENTION IN ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT

DCT's interventions with adolescent girls date more than a decade. For the last two years, however, we have been working with both adolescent boys and girls. This intervention has a health, social and economic component. We work with adolescents under three projects. The projects along with the funding organizations are as follow:

Although the specific objectives, the methodology and the intended niche of the three projects are different, the overall focus is on imparting livelihood and life skills; creating awareness on reproductive and sexual health and increasing gender sensitivity. The BLOOM project covers only adolescent boys in a classroom setting; the UNFPA funded project reaches out to both adolescent boys and girls most out of school and the Yuvati Vikas Shibirs are intended only for adolescent girls.

The Bloom project supported by CEDPA covers 383 adolescent boys of class VIII and IX of two schools viz. Nandesari Education Trust and Angadh School (secondary) and imparts training on Life Skills and Reproductive Health in a classroom set-up. On an average, three classes per week (of 45 minutes each) are taken. The planning process involves close interaction with the school Principals and teachers. The training curriculum is implemented with various innovative and participatory approaches like games, group exercises, stories etc. Experts are used as Resource persons for certain sessions.

After the session on STI/HIV/AIDS done three months ago, some boys complained of irritation, itching and burning sensation in genitals. Five such boys were referred to the men's STI clinic held at the DMF hospital. This is an example of the integration that exists between the various interventions of DCT and DMF. Though the one-year duration of project is too short to gauge and expect behavioral changes among the boys there have been some changes in the behaviour of boys as per the teachers and the community. One of the parents had this to say "pahla to gharna kaam maa koi madad na kare, have thodu kaam karave che" (These boys never used to help in household work, but they do a little work now). Another parent had this to say "pehla ben ne maarta hataa, have nathi maarta" (Initially my son used to hit his sister, now he does not do so.) One of the boys said "mara pappa mammi ne `hadhad tata', pan hu mari mammi and papa sathe vaat chit karine, shanty thi samjavu chu" (My father always used to speak rudely with my mother, but I talked with them and tried to explain to them.) One of the teachers said "Aa chokra jatiyata ni vaat kare tyare kharab shabdo no upyog karta hata, pan have saccha shabdo no upyog kare che" (The boys always used abusive language while referring to any sexuality issues, but now they have started using correct - technical words).

Some questions raised by the boys under CEDPA project during modules on puberty and RH.

These changes are definitely heartening and reaffirm to us the appropriateness of our strategy.

The UNFPA-GOI funded project "Support to Gender Issues: Adolescent Boys and Girls", which began in March 2000 is a linked program providing sexual and reproductive health information and livelihood options to young boys and girls between the ages of 13-23 years. The project is to cover 1000 adolescents (500 boys and 500 girls) over a three-year period. The project entails imparting training on reproductive health, gender and livelihood skills. Classes are held on these subjects three hours a day, five days a week for six months. In order to combat nutritional anemia that adolescents are susceptible to, 200 mg. IFA supplements are provided to the trainees daily for the tenure of the class.

A Self Help Group was formed of a tailoring class in Angadh village. 11 boys from this group saved regularly and could obtain loans. Five boys took this loan from NABARD and the others from the savings of the group itself. The loans were used for buying sewing machines and their spare parts."

The livelihood component of the project is being used as the base for providing training on reproductive and sexual health issues. Community need-based livelihood skills such as tailoring, embroidery, motor rewinding, electric wiring, TV./radio/tape repairing etc. are taught. Prior to starting, an interview schedule is administered that assesses their Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviour and Practices regarding RH & Gender and the curriculum is based on these responses. A Post-test is also carried out to assess the extent of their learning. Hemoglobin levels are also pre and post tested.

Details Of Classes Held In 2001
Skill	No. of Classes	Number Trained
Embroidery & Patchwork	2	41
Home Appliance Repairing	2	48
TV/Tape/Radio Repairing	2	52
Motor Rewinding	2	65
Sewing	8	221
TOTAL	16	427

Keeping sustainability in mind the trainees are organized into Self Help Groups and learn to save regularly. They are then able to obtain loans, which they can use for their livelihood. 6 Self Help Groups with a membership of 109 members were formed in the past year.

Quite a few of the young persons after undergoing the training are able to earn a livelihood from the skill. In Angadh village, after having completed a six-month course on tailoring, 14 boys out of 18 are earning from the skill. Four of these boys have opened a tailoring shop in partnership. One boy who learned repairing of televisions, radios and tapes has opened a shop in Nandesari. A Self Help Group of girls who had undergone training to be beauticians - were able to link up with NABARD and avail of loans and start earning a livelihood.

The International Center for Research on Women, Washington DC brought out a publication - "Making It Work: Linking Youth and Reproductive Health and Livelihoods" which focused on such successful programs worldwide. One of the programs described is DCT's UNFPA funded program on Adolescents".

For DCT, the livelihood aspect of this project is important in that it provides a base for its component on gender and reproductive health. In this component, the program attempts to address the gender power balance that affects decision-making and attitudes towards self and the opposite sex. The communication of information related to this is seen as the primary aim of the project. There are close linkages with the DCT intervention on sexual health and experts in the field are brought on to impart the curriculum.

One of the trainees said, "While engaged I used to meet my fiancée. I told him that I don't want to have kids early in the marriage. I want to move around (`harvu-farvu') and enjoy myself (`maja karvi'). I told him that I will take `goli' (oral pills). So my husband bought Mala-D for me."

Gender sensitive training modules have had some visible impact. One girl (from Navapura village) was able to convince her parents to delay her marriage by more than year. Another girl from this village and one from Ramgadh village could convince their families of their wish to study further and sat for the 10^th standard exams and cleared them. One girl from Ramgadh village who was married was not conceiving. Prior to joining the class she did not go for any medical investigations but now she goes for treatment to the DMF hospital and takes her husband along with her. Married boys who have completed the classes have become more sensitized to the antenatal care need of their pregnant wives and take their wives for regular ANC checkups.

Some changes in thinking have become visible. The DCT team has had boys telling them that they think restrictions placed on women during menstruation are not needed. One of the boys said, "At present we are helpless because of the elders in our family (`vadilo thi majboor chie'). But when we begin our own family life, at that time we will not follow these restrictions."

Attending these classes has instilled a certain amount of assertiveness and self-confidence among the adolescent girls. One of the girls said "Earlier I used to be very scared of talking with boys, but now after joining the class and coming to Nandesari alone on the bicycle has instilled a lot of courage in me".

Peer Educators (PEs) play a very important role in this intervention - from each class two persons are chosen as PEs and their main responsibility is to organize awareness programs, make individual contacts, and bring young people for health services if required. There is team of 35 Peer Educators that deal with adolescent issues.

Efforts are also made to keep in touch with trainees once they finish the class. This is done either through meetings of the Self Help Groups (formed of the trainees) or the Peer Educators organize programs in their respective villages, which involve those trainees who have completed the classes.

The importance of this intervention lies in that adolescent boys and girls learn more than just a skill that enables them to learn a livelihood or a functional knowledge of sexual and reproductive health, they learn life skills that would make them responsible adults.

Kanti (name changed) is a young boy of 17 living in Raika village. Identified by the DCT team as HRB case( he indulged in sex with men), as part of his counseling was encouraged to join a tailoring class being started in his village under the UNFPA project. Not only did he learn tailoring, he also learnt about sexual and reproductive health. As part of class activity, a "bhavai" on STI/HIV/AIDS was enacted. The message from this play left a strong impression on Kanti and he approached a DCT team member with a complaint of the nether region. He was referred for treatment and now he is healthy. He has abandoned his risky life style and has volunteered to work as a Peer Educator so that he could give correct information to other boys, like himself, who need to improve their lives."

DCT's expertise in working with adolescents has resulted in us being asked to train the staff of other organizations that are implementing similar programs. A team from the Paguthan Power Plant Social Development Trust in Bharuch Dist., Gujarat visited DCT for two days and was trained by DCT in managing adolescent development programs.

Under the Gujarat Government funded project, a total of 84 `Yuvati Vikas Shibirs" were held which were attended by 1154 girls. The emphasis in these trainings is on novel and participatory training methodologies and they cover topics relevant to adolescence.