Sistahood-club

Every other Thursday we have held lectures for girls about health and issues related to young woman's growth and life. The club is called the "Sistahood-club" and the slogan is "My health is my wealth". The local girl who is studying social work is helping us with the group. We have two groups. One for the girls who are 10-12 years old and an other for the 12-16 years old girls. With younger girls we had talked about hormonal changes, hygiene, periods, children rights and sexual abuse. For older girls the topics have been dating, contraception, hiv and aids and sexually transmitted diseases. In one group we have about twenty girls and lessons have been a one-hour length.

The topics are important but also not so easy to discuss with girls who are in that age. In this culture young girls don't have an opportunity to talk these things with their parents or in schools so these kind of groups are very important to them. We are trying to create a relaxed atmosphere in the groups that they will feel comfortable to open up and have confidence to express their own opinions. The only thing that has been taught in the school is HIV and the girls have lot of information about that. It is also typical for the culture that girls go married and have children in teenage. Thats why girls should not be encouraged to have sexual relationship too early, but rather talk about importance of education before starting a family.

The picture from the wall of primary school