Initiative Description:

Problem: Adolescence for a girl can be a challenging time under the best of circumstances, as she deals with body and hormone changes, gender perceptions, curiosity regarding sexuality, cultural expectations, peer pressure, relationships with the opposite sex, education plans and career aspirations. A number of studies have shown that a girl’s self-esteem plummets during the adolescent years, resulting in a poor self-image, relatively low expectations for her future and lower levels of confidence her abilities compared to her male contemporaries.

For a girl growing up in conflict and poverty, these issues are compounded even further. Increasingly, girls are being exploited at earlier ages and for more brutal uses, such as sexual slavery, chattel for trafficking, and as armed combatants. Tragically, this exploitation of girls often precipitates a two generation impact – the girl herself and the children she bears.

There is a critical need to invest in the development of vulnerable young women. According to the Coalition for Adolescent Girls, 70% of the world’s 130 million out-of-school youth are girls. As many as 50% of the victims of sexual assault are girls aged 16 or younger who live in developing countries. They are more likely to become mothers before the age of 18 and face a higher risk of dying in childbirth.

With the right support, education and resources, adolescent girls can be empowered to reverse this downward cycle. For example, every year a girl stays in school increases her individual earning power by 10–20%, while the impact of secondary education is even higher — in the 15–25% range.

According to UNICEF, the primary reason adolescent girls are missing school and eventually dropping out is the lack of reproductive education and appropriate menstrual hygiene products.

ChildVoice Theory of Change. ChildVoice’s programs specifically target highly vulnerable, adolescent girls growing up in conflict regions with the support, education and resources they need to build developmental, educational, and vocational assets. These assets will empower them to lead productive, economically advantaged, and independent lives, while contributing towards a sustainable and better future for their children, families and communities.

THRIVE Program. ChildVoice’s THRIVE Program fulfills a critical part in this adolescent development process. If interventions take place early enough, girls can be supported to stay in school, delay their first birth and build their health, social, and economic assets. Four key components are integrated to help at-risk girls thrive during their adolescence:

• Emotional Wellness. A girl’s concept of herself during adolescence drops precipitously because of the cumulative effect of all the changes that she is experiencing. Her body is changing dramatically, her hormones are surging, and she often feel bewildered by what is happening to her. For a girl who is growing up in conflict and poverty, these “normal” stressors are radically escalated. Using role-play and group discussion, the emotional wellness module is designed to help a girl understand and learn to navigate and cope with these emotional impacts.
• Relational Health. Cultural and traditional expectations and practices often put adolescent girls at risk of sexual abuse and exploitation, early marriage, child pregnancy, and the loss of educational and career potential. This module uses small group discussion and role play to help girls learn about their culture’s views and practices related to early and forced marriages, female genital mutilation, courtship and dowry practices, and expectations of girls before and after marriage. They will also learn skills and strategies to protect themselves while learning how to relate appropriately with their elders and the opposite gender.
• Reproductive Education. It is critical for a girl to understand the physical and hormonal changes that naturally occur during her adolescent years to make responsible decisions. This module uses a variety of methods and exercises to help girls learn about the anatomical parts and cycles of the reproductive system, how menstruation and pregnancy happens, and the components of good menstrual hygiene. In addition, they will learn about their sexuality and how to protect themselves from gender-based violence, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and subsequent risk of infertility.
• THRIVE Pad. Understanding the importance of sustainable access to menstrual hygiene products, ChildVoice has introduced the THRIVE Pad, a reusable menstrual pad that provides appropriate protection and hygiene for girls and women living in abject poverty. The THRIVE Pad’s unique design does not require underwear (often not available in areas of abject poverty), can be tailored using local materials, is expandable as girls grow, and can last up to five years.

ChildVoice launched a pilot six months ago distributing approximately 200 THRIVE Pads with Reproductive education to girls at the Imvepi Camp; there are 1750 girls in the Imvepi Camp enrolled in the Girl Empower Centers awaiting supplies; the need in Nigeria and throughout other camps is many times larger even than this number. As part of the Reproductive education, each girl makes a beaded bracelet that will help her track her cycle; this process reinforces the educational components in a practical way. Each girl will now be provided soap and a wash cloth as part of the health education component.

During this process, the ChildVoice team determined that the other educational components were needed. As part of this grant, ChildVoice will be able to complete this curriculum development and implementation. The long term goal is to scale this project to need the need globally.

Equipment has been purchased for interested girls to learn to sew by creating their own THRIVE pad. The kits in this proposal will be produced by sewing guilds, individual seamstresses and other avenues

Initiative Anticipated Impact and Outcomes:

ChildVoice has established innovative “Girl Empowerment Centers” in the Imvepi Refugee Camp in northern Uganda and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps in Nigeria. The girls/young women in the refugee camp in Uganda are from South Sudan and many have experienced the horrors of the civil war including losing family members, homes and physical violation. In Nigeria, many of the girls/young women in the IDP camp have escaped from or been impacted by Boko Haram. All of these girls are economically and socially vulnerable as they are lacking the social support system needed in these transitional years.

The Thrive project education and supplies will be distributed through the Girl Empowerment Centers so they have the necessary support and follow up.

The anticipated outcome for these girls/young women is to stay in school completing their education enabling them to make their own life decisions including future vocation. The education on Reproductive Health, Emotional Wellness, and Relational Health will empower the girls/young women to make healthy, self-aware decisions regarding their relationships, their bodies and their futures.

Initiative Sustainability Plan:

ChildVoice has a holistic approach to restoring and assisting children impacted by war. ChildVoice has been caring for war-affected girls in Uganda for 11 years through the program at the Lukome Centre which provides education, counseling, spiritual development, parental skills training and vocational training. In 2017 ChildVoice began the Girl Empowerment Centers in at the Imvepi Camp in Uganda and in Nigeria. In both places, local staff works with the girls help them with education and life skills. This staff will be providing the education and continual support for the components of the Thrive project.

The Thrive pad provides 5 years of menstrual supplies for each girl. The pad is not dependent on underwear and will grow with the girl. Estimates are that the average woman in the US spends $120 annually on menstrual supplies so the Thrive pad reduces economic hardship for these girls. Additionally as it is cloth based, it is environmentally sustainable as there would be no solid waste impact reducing the impact of plastics in the area.

During the Reproductive Health portion, each girl not only learns about her menstrual cycle but creates a bracelet for monthly tracking.
In the pilot, ChildVoice has learned that the other curriculum components are critically important to the girls understanding of the issues of menstruation, emotional health and a sustainable future.

Total Funding Requested: $45,000

Funding Date Requirement: 03/01/2019

Initiative Video or Related Video Links:  None submitted

Nonprofit Name: ChildVoice

Nonprofit Website:  https://childvoice.org/