Empowerment starts with knowledge
Our Education and Outreach Programs aim to empower women through knowledge. They include:
- Outreach to stall holders and shoppers in the Tiara Grosir and Sanur Intaran traditional markets.
- Regular educational discussions – a range of topics facilitated by staff or guest speakers
- Staff Outreach Workers
- Peer Educators (trained market women)
- Wide variety of information materials and condoms, available free at clinic and from Outreach Workers
Some successes:
- Our monthly educational discussion sessions are usually attended by approximately 40 people
- 10-15 Peer Educators (PE), and market workers themselves, assist outreach efforts and meet monthly targets
- Approximately 400 people per month receive substantive information through outreach staff or PEs
- Program staff and PEs distribute approximately 400 condoms and over 600 pamphlets/booklets per month to those interested, both at the clinic and around the market area
- Based on staff-client interactions and interviews, improvements in knowledge and attitudes have been noted (e.g. respect for people with AIDS) as well as safer practices (e.g. willingness to discuss and use condoms with partners)
A success story:
Dewi, a young woman of 28 years old, dreamed of having a baby but had tried many different methods for over two years with no success. One day, she joined a YRS discussion topic on Women’s Reproductive Health during the Women’s Day celebration. She sat in the corner and listened. Later, she told YRS:
Initially I just wanted to come and listen but in the discussions, when they explained about pregnancy and the problem, it made me interested because I had that problem. I listened and took notes, asked about my problems and got a satisfactory answer. At the end of the session I asked for some brochures to read at home, and I also informed my partner and some of my friends about YRS and reproductive and sexual health issues.
A few days later, Dewi decided to come to the YRS for an examination. She did a Pap test and several other tests, as well as a full consultation. She really wanted to have a baby.
A few months later, Dewi came again to another YRS monthly discussion. At the end of the session, she came to one of the YRS staff and said, “I’m very happy, I’m pregnant now – almost two months. I want to say thank you to YRS, my problems are now solved – I will have a baby soon! Thank you for giving me information about reproductive health so that I could become aware of the problems and know where to find the answer – just come to YRS and my problems are solved!”