Gulf | Oman
Youth education network launched in Oman
The United Nations Population Fund's GCC office recently launched the Youth Peer Education Network in Oman with a workshop to train peer educators.
- By Sunil K. Vaidya, Bureau Chief
- Published: 00:22 August 19, 2007
Muscat: The United Nations Population Fund's GCC office recently launched the Youth Peer Education Network in Oman with a workshop to train peer educators.
"The worldwide Youth Peer Education Network (Y-Peer) works in the broad areas of adolescent sexual and reproductive health," Amira Al Aker, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Media Consultant, told Gulf News yesterday.
With the help of Oman's Scouts and Guides, UNFPA Oman chose Khamis Al Alawi as a trainer in UNFPA efforts to build the capacity of Peer Education in Oman.
After completion of this course and receiving his certificate of completion, Al Alawi was sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina for a 10-day workshop to further complete his training and prepare him as a trainer and as a Y-Peer focal point for Oman.
He then trained 11 participants - five male and six female - in peer education at a workshop held last month at the UNFPA Muscat office.
Workshop
"The workshop aimed to train trainers to become peer educators, ie to teach fellow youth community members the correct facts on reproductive health, HIV/Aids, and other health areas," she said. The UNFPA staff at the Muscat office assisted Al Alawi during the workshop.
According to Amira, the sessions at the workshop included team presentations on specific topics, theatrical representations of various cases such as birth spacing, HIV/Aids, and learning how to say 'no'. Discussions followed all exercises with the trainer acting as the facilitator and encouraged debate, she added.
"There was a very positive response from the participants. The tests also confirmed that their information on reproductive health and HIV/Aids, as well as their peer education skills increased a lot," reckons Amira.
She also believes that the participants are capable of taking on the responsibility and expectations placed on them as the first trainers of the Y-Peer network in Oman and the Gulf region.
"As in most countries, including Arab countries, youth tend to receive information on reproductive health or sexual matters from fellow youth since these topics are sensitive areas," pointed out the UNFPA official.
She feels that most youth do not feel comfortable talking to their elders on the matter, or receiving the information from hospitals, schools or other institutes out of shame or taboo. "The problem exists when the information provided by fellow youth is misguided or inaccurate, which happens quite often," she stressed.
"The Y-Peer network worldwide hopes to guide the youth from grassroots level, within the most vulnerable age groups, in all issues related to reproductive health, as well as providing them with the appropriate resources to get the information they require," she said.
What is Y-Peer?
- Y-Peer stands for Youth Peer Education Network.
- Y-Peer is a network of over 200 organisations and institutions, consisting of thousands of young people, working in the broad areas of adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
- As of the end of 2005, Y-Peer linked more than 3,000 members from 39 countries.
- The Y-Peer network worldwide is a non-governmental initiative with strong ties to various agencies and institutions.
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