Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI) Nigeria, Calabar centre in Collaboration with Cross River State Ministry of Education and support from UNESCO is organised a 3-day training of teachers and volunteers on Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education (FLHE) delivery. The training will held at GPI Calabar conference hall at Atimbo Road from Wednesday 21st to Friday 23rd July 2021.

The Coordinator of GPI Calabar Centre, Mrs. Comfort Ikpeme gave and overview of the program and objectives of the training. She introduced the O3 (Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future) programme, a UNESCO Education for health and well-being project.

Barrister Francis Oyije, a representative of the Hon. Commissioner for Education and Desk Officer, Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education (FLHE), Ministry of Education welcomed participants to the training. In his remark, he encouraged the teachers and volunteers to see this as an opportunity for personal and career development in FLHE. He further pledged more collaboration with GPI in the area of FLHE implementation in the State and thanked UNESCO and other partners for their support.

The UNESCO Education for Health and Wellbeing, Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Programme is to improve Sexual and Reproductive Health, gender and education outcomes for adolescents and young people in the Sub-Saharan Africa region through sustained reductions in new HIV/STI infections, early and unintended pregnancy and gender-based violence. It is focused on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of children, adolescent boys and girls, and young women and men in Sub-Saharan Africa. It works to;

1. Create better conditions for adolescents and young people to make informed decisions about their health, sexuality and reproduction
2. Reduce number of new HIV infections and early and unintended pregnancies
3. Improve access to sexual and reproductive health and rights

The Project Objectives are:

• Secure and sustain strong political commitment and support for adolescents and young people’s access to FLHE and sexual and reproductive health services
• Support the delivery of accurate, rights-based and good quality FLHE programmes that provide knowledge, values and skills essential for safer behaviours, reduced adolescent pregnancy, and gender equality
• Ensure that schools and community environments are safer, healthier and inclusive for all young people
• Strengthen the evidence base on FLHE and safer school environments

 The objectives of the training are to:

• Increase access to information on FLHE and other life management skills for in and out of school young people in Calabar Municipal & Ikom L.G.A.s through the teachers.
• Build capacity of 20 teachers and 4 volunteers to deliver FLHE lessons in 10 secondary schools in Calabar Municipal and Ikom Local Government Areas.
• Increase Knowledge and establish/maintain healthy relationships as counselors with young people.