RSAD: Latest Female Warriors of 100%Jeune

RSAD: “strong and empowered rural girl”: Such was the ambiance that the Campaign caravan of ACMS, crowned its quest to drill and educate rural young girls on sexual and reproductive health in the august 2021.

From Ebolowa to Pouma passing through Diang and Mbanda in the South, East, Centre and Littoral region, ACMS, through one of her projects PPSAC which strives to prevent HIV/Aids among youths, successfully reinforced the capacity of 163 young girls aged between 15 and 24. The three-day meeting centred on themes related to sexual and reproductive health of the girl child, menstrual hygiene, living with HIV, contraception, leadership and income generating activities.

Held under the strict respect of barrier measures against the covid-19 pandemic, the girls, as well as their peers from far and wide, benefited from educational talks on specific terms, such as drug consumption. The district health centre of the area took charge of giving the situation of Covid-19 in the region, as well as sensitizing participants to the dangers of the Covid-19 virus as well the advantages of protecting one’s self and family.

The last day’s training is set aside for the income generating course. Young girls, were taught how to be self-reliant, by familiarizing themselves with the production of basic commodities whose raw materials are a stone's throw away from them.  Here, the young girls where schooled in the production of: chocolate, liquid soap, starch, cassava flour and smoked aliments.

“It was really great, very uplifting, I got a lot of advice; I learned how to make some products which will help me to be independent in the future. As a young girl, this training has impacted me a lot, from now I would be careful about my sex life by protecting myself with a condom, for fear of contracting an infection or an unwanted pregnancy. I learned how to make soap, starch; above all, I received a lot of lessons on living positively.  I also learned that a girl who had not yet conceived could use contraceptive methods, such as the IUD without any negative impact on her fertility; moreover, I equally learned how to calculate my cycle”. Says Yanda Chantal, a young girl who took part in the Diang RSAD.

RSAD’S are implemented in collaboration with the council municipalities, in support with heads of local health district. This allows for a total follow up of the trained participants as well as persons tested positive to HIV.

In a nut shell, the councils, official partners of ACMS, helped in smoothly carrying out the various activities in keeping these girls 100%Jeune and 100% Reglo.