& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

They are eager to learn...!

Sohel Rana
PANNA Akter and Shilpi Begum are two teenage mothers, both 17, said they learned a great deal from the peer trainers at the Youth Friendly Service Centres (YFSC) set up by BAPSA (Association for Prevention of Septic Abortion, Bangladesh). They did
not know any such thing before they got married. Both the teenagers got married before reaching the age 16. This is how Panna related her experience, "I first came to BAPSA youth centre in 2012.1 took peer training course and four sessions on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). I have learned about early marriage, adolescent health and pregnancy, complicacies, healthcare facilities, safe delivery, dowry, eve teasing etc. Though my husband allows me to come to the youth centre but shows no interest in what I learn here."
Shilpi narrated a similar story about the benefits of coming to the clinic and attending some sessions at the Youth Friendly Service Centre.
What some peer trainers say...
We decided to meet some young peer trainers at the BAPSA youth centre. Romana Akter, now 21 plus, is a trainer. She joined YFSC in 2012 at Kalsy, Mirpur. In her own words, "I took training on various issues concerning the adolescents of the country including SRHR. At first everyone discouraged me about coming here saying that they were not going to teach us anything new. But now I think they were wrong because without knowing everything properly about marriage and conjugal life it is very difficult to lead a healthy life. We want to know about
hitherto unknown things. As I am a peer trainer, I am able to train others who come here to leam."
Sabbir Ahmed is 21 and studying to be a textile engineer someday. He told us his story, "At first my friends and family members laughed at and teased me when I told them I was going to join BAPSA training course. But I didn't get disheartened. I could release that it was important to learn properly about reproductive age and sexual life to lead a healthy life. These untold issues should be made clear so that boys and girls do not have any wrong ideas or information. And it is high time guardians changed their mentality and attitude about the adolescent issues."
Talking to an NGO leader....
We met Quazi Suraiya Sultana, Executive Director of a health NGO named RHSTEP (Reproductive Health Services Training and Education Program), who has been handling these issues for many years now in an organized and concrete manner. She talked with great enthusiasm about how the mindset, prejudices and ignorance of the adolescents can be changed by peer trainers. RHSTEP is running some programs in some local schools as well as in their office at Mirpur.
She said, "Young boys and girls are really eager to
learn about the health and reproductive health issues! They get to learn about early marriage, early pregnancy, sexual and reproductive health and rights, general health, eve teasing, superstitions, harmful customs, child rearing etc., from the peer trainers.
We know the needs of the adolescents but their parents never try to understand it. But they should monitor it. The adolescents want to improve their lives. They want to learn about the unknown things. But their guardians are never willing to talk about health and reproductive health issues. Rather they blame us saying that we are spoiling them."
From our above experience, we can conclude that we have to reach out to the adolescent population on a proactive basis as they are eager to learn. If we wait for them to come to us, breaking all the social and psychological barriers, then we shall be doing a mistake. We have seen that they have many questions regarding child marriage, prenatal care, safe delivery, SRHR etc., therefore, we have to create the congenial environment for them where they would feel comfortable to talk about their problems, their ignorance and their wrong beliefs, and would agree to learn the right thing and leave better informed.