EQUIPPING ETHIOPIA’S YOUTH:
THE IMPACT OF THE OWNING THEIR FUTURE PROJECT ON ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH.
Author: Fana Abay, Marketing and Communications Director, PSI Ethiopia; Temesgen Birhanu, Program Specialist, PSI Ethiopia; Yonas Zula, Sr. Program Manager, PSI Ethiopia
In many regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, teenage pregnancies are still a pressing problem. Ethiopia is no exception: for every 1,000 young women between the ages of 15and 19, there are over 70 births every year. Unintended teenage pregnancy has devastating health and socio-economic consequences for the young parents and their communities. Despite numerous prevention efforts, adolescent pregnancies still occur in developing countries, underlining the need for innovative approaches.
And That’s Where We Come In!
In response to this challenge, PSI Ethiopia and Marie Stopes International — Ethiopia, Reproductive Choices launched the Owning Their Future (OTF) project. This groundbreaking initiative targets 39 of Ethiopia’s most marginalized districts across four regions. The aim is to ensure women and girls are empowered to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), free from discrimination, coercion, and violence. By actively engaging influential community members and reaching out directly to adolescent girls and young women, PSI Ethiopia advocates for progressive social norms related to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Local schools are a unique starting point for these efforts, where PSI Ethiopia provides life-saving knowledge to adolescents in a supportive learning environment.
THE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT IN BOBA KECHA PRIMARY SCHOOL
Boba Kecha Primary School, located in a remote corner of Chena District, recently organized a school campaign as part of the OTF project. At this event, health workers trained by PSI in Ethiopia provided students with important information about sexual and reproductive health, including family planning and gender-based violence, using educational audio recordings, stories, and music over loudspeakers. This was followed by an open discussion forum where young people could openly discuss sexual and reproductive health and ask sensitive questions. Most of the unmarried boys and girls who attended the event found the experience very educational.
For many participants, it was their first exposure to important sexual and reproductive health concepts. Students learned more about safe sex, contraceptive methods, safe abortion methods, and access to confidential sexual and reproductive services. The open dialog during the event was instrumental in breaking taboos and dispelling myths surrounding sexual and reproductive health in the community. As a result, students felt informed and better prepared to make informed decisions about their health and future.
The teachers also reacted enthusiastically to the event. The principal of the school, Meseret Gadissa, praised the uniqueness of the event for imparting knowledge to the students that is rarely covered in class. Dedicated teacher and health club leader, Mrs. Hirut Kebede, shared how the SRH campaign at school facilitates open communication about sexual and reproductive health between students and teachers. By referring girls to youth-friendly clinics, they were able to access comprehensive SRH services, including safe abortion care, so that they could continue their education.
BREAKING BARRIERS AND CHANGING LIVES
In an environment where early pregnancies often affect the education and potential of unmarried girls and boys, the importance of these measures cannot be overstated. The OTF project removes a significant barrier to education and engagement in Chena by providing adolescents, both girls and boys, with the awareness and tools to prevent unwanted pregnancies. The enthusiastic response underscores the high demand for reproductive health education among Ethiopian youth, especially when social barriers are successfully removed.
A student from Boba Kecha Primary School explained: “When a girl gets pregnant, both her family and she herself are discriminated against in social activities within the community and in her church and mosque. So, it is a challenge to talk to parents at home about sexual and reproductive health.”
Another eighth grader explained, “Although some health facilities are close to her home, they are a barrier to using and practicing SRHR because of inconvenient opening hours, being seen by neighbors during regular working hours, hostile attitude of providers, and lack of confidentiality and privacy.” This eighth-grade student said, “My sister was a 12th grade student, she was a very bright student who dropped out of school due to an unintended pregnancy, and now she is living with her baby boy in a life she never expected. If this school event had occurred sooner, my sister would have protected herself from unprotected sex as well as the post-pregnancy measures. I mean, she would be seeking safe abortion care at this point.”
SCHOOL CENTERED APPROACH — A PROMISING PATH FORWARD
In summary, the school-centered approach of the OTF project is very promising when it comes to changing attitudes and expanding access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and services. Since March 2022, the OTF project has reached 32,000 girls and boys through school centered SRH campaigns. Of these, 52% are girls. While comprehensive social change requires influencing social and cultural norms, imparting knowledge to young people is an important first step. If projects like OTF are scaled up across the country, they could help the next generation in Ethiopia make informed decisions about their health and future.
