Sharing experiences: The peer-to-peer university-based RH
program in Upper Egypt
S. Hussein, N. Samir, M. Afifi
Pathfinder International,
Cairo, Egypt
Global best practices suggest that using peer educators is more
effective in addressing sensitive issues that require horizontal counseling
rather than vertical.
The TAHSEEN Project worked with religious leaders, medical
doctors, youth & parents to develop seven booklets addressing various topics
like puberty, pregnancy, menstruation, marital relations & fertility. These
booklets were used as training manuals for university students participating in
the peer-to-peer (P2P) program. The program takes place in universities aiming
at producing a cadre of peer educators capable of providing their peers with
non-judgmental culturally relevant health information & promotes healthy
behavior changes on an individual basis or through special events.
After
participating in the 3-day peer educator development workshop, the post-training
test results reflected a significant increase in knowledge & average scores
increased from 19% to 90%. Evidence to date shows that graduates of the P2P
program have in some cases successfully managed to change some faulty behaviours
as one of the peer educators reported that “I managed to convince my
parents not to circumcise my sister”
Before joining the program, a 17 year
female old peer educator thought menstrual blood was “rotten,” pain
medication to fight cramps caused infertility, & had never heard of condom.
Today, she shares her newfound knowledge about reproductive health with her
friends, sisters, cousins & even her mother. She also stated that “Ninety-five
percent of our information was wrong. Because of our customs & traditions we
were embarrassed to talk, but I have learned to break the wall of shyness. Now I
know that these are not things that contradict our religion. TAHSEEN will
deliver a message through the generations.”