World Population Day 2017 is marked with advocacy campaign for youth on healthy lifestyle by the Y-PEER volunteers at fourteen summer youth camps. More than 1,000 young people aged 13 to 15 raised their awareness on adolescent reproductive health, life skills and healthy lifestyle through the peer-education sessions and presentations conducted by Y-PEER volunteers.

It has become a tradition that Y-PEER volunteers conduct summer healthy lifestyle sessions at the summer camps in Geok Dere mountainous region outside of the capital.  Every year, young leaders travel and meet with thousands of young people from across Turkmenistan to talk about youth health, including adolescent reproductive health, prevention of bad habits, STIs/HIV, as well as acquiring the needed life skills, including the ability to say “No!” 

This year, Y-PEER volunteers used a variety of interactive methods to get the message to the young people.  Some of the games, such as “Flower of health,” “Ways to leading a healthy life,” “Chamomile,” “White and Black Angel,” among many others, helped the campers to learn through a discussion and role-playing the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle, consequences of bad habits and STIs, and making responsible decisions in having a healthy and happy life now and in the future. 
 
“Session participants were thrilled with the approach we used in getting them the messages on health issues,” stated Aygozel Muhammedova, Y-PEER activists. “It was so much fun that even camp counselors and administration asked whether they can take part in our games!  Campers were very enthusiastic and asked a lot of good questions regarding effect of bad habits, adolescent reproductive health and HIV.”

Every evening, series of films on HIV were presented to the campers in different camps with follow-up discussions of the issue.  In two camps “Serdar Nesilleri” and “Cheshme”, the administration requested to hold additional edutainment sessions during the evening dance.  Y-PEER volunteers held quiz sessions, contests and games and awarded the winners with the prizes. 

Teen Hotline and Youth Centers in Mary and Ashgabat were also promoted during the campaign.

“The impact of the information campaigns in camps allows us to better plan for the next year,” said Maya Meretkuliyeva, UNFPA Youth Outreach specialist. “The administration recognized that peer-to-peer approach is highly effective in educating our teenagers to have healthy habits.  They showed great interest in having our Y-PEER volunteers visit the camps in the following years all throughout the summer to reach even higher number of young people.” 
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UNFPA: Delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

For additional information, please contact:

Ene Tuyliyeva, Advocacy Communication Associate
tuyliyeva@unfpa.org

Tel: 425250; web: unfpa.org.tm
www.untuk.org