How Lagos youth friendly initiative is improving lives of young Nigerians

Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties hosts workshops for incarcerated youth to teach them about sexual wellness, as well as the elements of healthy relationships, consent and the consequences of toxic masculinity. The workshops educate young men so they can have the knowledge they — and their partners — need to have better health outcomes. The workshops began in 2013 and expect to reach about 300 incarcerated teens and young men by the end of June as they continue expanding.

The Hacey Health Initiative’s Tombey project works to connect young people — especially young girls — with reliable, accurate information about sexual and reproductive rights and health (SRHR), as well as relevant sexual and reproductive health services. The Tombey Project offers an online SRHR course, a “sexiontary” full of SRHR terms and definitions and connections to youth-friendly counseling services. Since 2016, over 3,000 youth have taken the Tombey Project’s online course and it’s estimated that over 100,000 young people across the country have been impacted by the Tombey Project in some way.

Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre Foundation provides comprehensive care, protection and legal assistance to youth who suffered sexual abuse or are at risk. So far, they’ve helped reach eight convictions and have about 57 ongoing cases. The Foundation also emphasizes the importance of psychotherapy and education, empowering youth to learn about personal safety, boundaries and age-appropriate sex education in an effort to prevent reoccurring abuse.

The Peers Uplifting Peers program works to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and normalize having conversations about getting help. The program trains rural high schoolers in mental health first aid, teaching them how to communicate with their peers who may be experiencing mental health issues and how to connect them with trusted adults and mental health resources.

Some districts, like Portage Public Schools, are offering school-based mental health care to improve students’ overall well-being, school performance and greatly increase access to care. The use of school-based healthcare is on the rise, as more than 22,000 students received services from a school-based mental health services provider during the 2021-2022 school year, compared to just 8,885 from 2019-2020.

The organization, Friends of the Children, is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by giving at-risk children adult mentors to help guide them. The program results in kids who avoid teen pregnancy, graduate from high school, and don't end up in the criminal justice system.

Minnesota schools began a comprehensive program aimed at assisting children of minority groups to successfully navigate the college application process and push them towards higher education.

The Aspirations Incubator supports rural Maine communities in creating youth mentoring programs using the Trekkers approach. The incubator gives organizations $600,000 over six years, plus extensive training in fostering belonging and developing leadership. Rather than replicating a one-size-fits-all program, each community develops an authentic program suited to local needs. A study tracking the first cohort of students from 7th grade through high school graduation showed they attended school more often, performed better academically, and enrolled in college at higher rates.

Health centers like Barjobi Health Center III offer youth and teens judgment and stigma-free sexual and reproductive healthcare services, as well as opportunities to connect with each other over games and activities. However, these youth-centric health centers are facing closures and significant budget cuts as the biggest funding provider, USAID, has phased out.

Self-Cav is an AI chatbot that provides judgment-free, 24/7 information to young South Africans about HIV prevention, sexual health, and mental health via WhatsApp, allowing them to connect to real healthcare workers when needed. The chatbot is specifically designed to create demand for the HIV prevention medication PrEP among young women. Nearly 10,000 young people have used the chatbot platform, and 25% have been successfully linked to clinics or healthcare workers for PrEP, HIV testing, contraceptives, or mental health support.