Reaching reproductive health knowledge to rural adolescents in Bangladesh: Learning from BRAC

Abstract

BRAC, a local non-governmental organisation is providing reproductive health knowledge for rural adolescents belonging to poor families. There productive curriculum covers a wide range of issue from puberty reproduction and menstruation, marriage and pregnancy, STDs and AIDS, family planning and birth control, are recruited and trained. Classes are taught to both male and female adolescents. An important aspect of implementation is the involvement of stakeholders (teachers, students, parents, religious leaders and community members) in selecting location of schools and deciding school management committees. To ensure effective implementation, a system of supervising and monitoring is in place. The strengths of the programme are many-there is an emphasis on community involvement, the introduction of basic knowledge on reproductive matters and links have been created whereby students, teachers and programme staff act as referrals to health centres and other formal health facilities for community members. Some weaknesses are identified, such as, monitoring constraints, insufficient training, teaching hours and teaching aids, and a lack of awareness of interactive teaching methods. Cultural considerations hinder female teachers from teaching adolescents boys freely. Some of the challenges to the programme are the conservative cultural environment and religious opposition in some areas. Currently the programme is on in 803 schools, covering a population of 27,175 rural adolescents.