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Universal Children's Day   
Nov. 21, 2011—This past Sunday, November 20 marked Universal Children’s Day, the day chosen by the United Nations in 1954 to promote the welfare of children globally. Thanks to the focus of the Millennium Development Goals, the world has seen improvements in youth education, health and gender equity in many countries, but there is still a long way to go. Children especially adolescents still face overwhelming obstacles and challenges to their well being. Adolescents ages 10-19 make up more than 1.2 billion of the total world population, and 88 percent of those live in developing countries. Evidence shows that it is not enough to implement programs that support the wellbeing of children. Their families and communities must be engaged as well. CEDPA’s Better Life Options program in southern Africa did just that through the intergenerational communications (IGC) module. The IGC module encouraged dialogue about sensitive topics and issues important to adolescents between parents, other adult stakeholders and youth. Adults participated in a series of meetings and workshops that provided them with information and tools to create a supportive environment for adolescents who participated in the Better Life Option program. Facilitators were selected from well-respected community leaders to engage adults in the IGC communication exercises. Gogo Nhleko was an ideal candidate to become a facilitator.
Gogo had not led an easy life. She was put to work as a royal babysitter at the age of 11 and never had an opportunity to go to school. She married young and had nine children. Gogo’s work for the royal family was rewarded with a valuable piece of land, where she, her five living children and 38 of her grandchildren currently live. The land was more valuable to Gogo than its monetary cost because it was next to a school. This meant her children, and eventually her grandchildren, could go to school. She understood how important an education could be. Over time, Gogo became a community champion. She was selected for a program to disseminate health information throughout her village. She was a well-respected pillar of her community, which is why she was selected as a facilitator for the program. Gogo could see firsthand the benefits of the Better Life Options program because five of her grandchildren were participants. Since attending the sessions, her grandchildren’s behavior improved, they developed goals and they demonstrated a desire to succeed. She said her grandchildren also better understood substance abuse and peer pressure, and what they should do to avoid them. One of the side effects of the program was that the participants began to ask questions that their parents and other adults were not prepared to answer. The IGC module gave parents and community members a safe place to develop the tools to answer these questions. The module strengthened communication tools and the ability to address sensitive topics, which Gogo can attest to. She felt that the Better Life Options program made things better for the adolescents who attended the sessions and their parents. The program provided families with a much needed path of communication, and Gogo enjoyed helping to construct it. “The IGC program opened our eyes because it improved our communication with our children,” said Gogo. “I love what I do to encourage parents to talk to their children.” Read more about CEDPA’s work with adolescents. |
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