STRENGTHENING ADOLESCENTS COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

Due to a rise in the number of adolescents and increase in risky behaviors among Filipino adolescents over the years.  It aims to achieve the following health outcomes among adolescents: (1) Healthy Development (2) Healthy Nutrition (3) Sexual and Reproductive Health (4) Reduction of Substance Use (5) Reduction of Injuries and Mortality, Morbidity and Psychosocial Consequences of Injuries (6) Reduction of all Forms of Violence and Mortality, Morbidity and Psychosocial Consequences of Violence and (7) Mental Health.

The program strategies to be implemented through capacity-building training that  includes 1) Health promotion  and behavior change for adolescents to utilize health services, practice healthy  behaviors, avoid risks 2) Improving access to quality and adolescent-friendly  health care  services and information 3) Expanding  health  insurance 4) Enhancing skills of service providers, families and adolescents to protect their health and development 5).Strengthening partnerships among adolescent groups, government agencies, civil society, the private sector, families and communities . Strengthening policy at all levels to ensure that all adolescents have access to information and services 7) Ensuring sufficient resources to implement a sustainable adolescent health program  8) Resource mobilization.

The Adolescent Health and Youth Development (AHYD) program focuses on improving the health of young people, ages 10-19, and providing educational and skill building workshops and programs that help them navigate safely through adolescence and into adulthood. By partnering with schools, youth service agencies and the faith community, AHYD is able to help build support systems for district youth that engage them in fun and innovative programs during the peak hours for high risk behaviors. The program offers a variety of interactive, age-appropriate workshops and activities designed to help young people think clearly about consequences and personal goals. There are also interactive workshops and presentations for parents and other interested adults.

Our program takes a non-traditional approach to educating teens and adults by providing training and workshops in the afternoons and on weekends. Two evidence based curriculums are used to teach teens about the consequences of sex with one being abstinence-based (Making A Difference) and the other being a comprehensive approach aimed to encouraging safe sex with the use of contraception (Making Proud Choices). Each of the evidence based curriculum consist of 8 modules which are usually conducted over a span of 8 one hour sessions. Additional prevention trainings and presentations include: Alcohol and Drug Education, Developmental Assets, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and Statutory Rape.

Topics covered in abstinence education curriculum (Making A Difference) include:

• Self-esteem
• Communication
• Sexuality
• Dating violence
• Abstinence
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Goal-setting
• Decision-Making

Topics covered in the comprehensive sex education curriculum (Making Proud Choices) curriculum include:

• Goal-Setting
• Decision-Making
• Teen Pregnancy
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• HIV
• Condom Education
• Negotiation and Refusal Skills

Our organization is staff with professionals from different walks of life. We are registered and accredited from different government agencies in the Philippines most specifically in the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) wherein recognized as auxiliary  social welfare and development agency for children, youth and families. More so, we have existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Commission on Population and Development that mainly focuses on Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning (RPFP0) and Adolescent Health and Development Program (AHDP), and we shall continue to do the following activities;

• Include youth as experts in health provider trainings; make an extra effort to include representatives from sub-populations such as younger adolescents, married youth, etc.
• Link with training institutions that can provide ongoing and refresher trainings for staff.
• Integrate family planning in the provision of other health services through supporting local government staff.
• Strengthen community linkages by strengthening Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and population officers’ capacity to speak with adolescents and their parents about adolescent sexual reproductive health and contraceptive methods.
• There is no one-size-fits-all-approach, which is why it is important to reach adolescents with SRH services at different stages of need. Often, youth are more concerned about the social and mental aspects of sexual and reproductive health, rather than clinical services. Therefore, partnering with specialized services for referrals is important.
• Support pharmacies to provide proper family planning messages and to refer clients to health clinics as needed; provide short-acting contraception (e.g., pills, condoms).

The Adolescent Health and Development Program of the POPCOM-Caraga that focuses on improving the health of young people, ages 10-19, and providing educational and skill building workshops and programs that help them navigate safely through adolescence and into adulthood. Our organization has already reached out the total of 8,345 adolescents and significant adults in Butuan City, 1,357 in Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte, 856 in Nasipit, Agusan del Norte, 4,567 in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, 3,102 in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur, and 1,222 in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.

Peer education-  is one of the effective strategies used to improve young people's reproductive and sexual health outcomes by providing the knowledge, skills and beliefs necessary to lead healthy lives. Adolescent family life education is an effective adolescent health promotion strategy. This will also help to provide a safe space and learning environment for young people without fear of judgment, misunderstanding, harassment or abuse. To increase social connectedness and create a sense of belonging within supportive peer networks.

Peer education is known as sharing of information and experiences among individuals with something in common . It aims to assist young people in developing the knowledge, attitudes, and skills that are necessary for positive behavior modification through the establishment of accessible and inexpensive preventive and psychosocial support. Peer education programs mainly focus on harm reduction information, prevention, and early intervention.

Peer educator training, as the most important component of a peer education program, involves:

1. An introductory meeting to familiarize the peer educators with the concept of peer education and the training needs;
2. Training the educators with communication, facilitation, research, and evaluation skills;
3. Providing opportunities for personal development;
4. Providing access to formal knowledge.

Adolescents notable  experience rapid physical, cognitive and psychosocial growth. This affects how they feel, think, make decisions, and interact with the world around them. Despite being thought of as a healthy stage of life, there is significant death, illness and injury in the adolescent years.

1.Adolescent participation and civic engagement- When adolescents contributes to social change, entire communities benefit.

2.Adolescent health and well-being- ensuring their development and growth with implications that reverberate across generations. 

3.Adolescent development and participation- Investing in adolescents build strong economies, inclusive communities and vibrant societies.

4.Strengthening health systems- Children need strong, resilient and inclusive health systems to survive and thrive.

Full time staff- 5

Part-time staff- 10

Volunteers-20

Social Worker-1

FRIENDSHIP GOALS SOCIETY CARAGA – BUTUAN INC. (FGSCBI ) is a non-profit, non-stock, non-political, and non-partisan organization, founded on October 28, 2017;  registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 19, 2018. Moreover, its prevailing existence has been deliberately recognized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and granted a Certificate of Registration and License to Operate as Auxiliary Social Welfare and Development Agency for Children, Youths, Families. Fortunately, FGSBI has been operating for almost seven (7) years now with advocacy on the promotion of gender and development.

PROFESSIONALISM
We will embrace the highest standards of moral discipline, integrity, loyalty, and commitment to our social services.

LEADERSHIP AND FAIRNESS
We will always be sensitive to people’s needs and provide them timely services with respect, just, humane, fairness, and confidentiality.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
We will involve the community in attaining our social services goals by providing them with a solid foundation for life long success by ensuring they have access to the resources needed to succeed throughout life’s challenges.

RESILIENCE
We will strive to understand and to be understood without any doubt.

EXCELLENCE
As youth leader professionals, fueled by a profound belief power of determination to make a difference; we will continuously strive for service excellence, and satisfaction.

SPIRITUALITY AND DIVERSITY
We will work ethically and effectively with religion and spirituality as relevant to our clients and their communities and to refrain from discrimination and biases on religious and nonreligious beliefs

Continuous Technical Guidance to the Youths- The guidance involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of sexuality education programs both in and out of school, including: government education, health and other ministries; non-governmental organizations; youth workers and young people; and other stakeholders working on quality education, sexual and reproductive health, adolescent health and gender equality.

Its purpose is to support curriculum developers and program managers to create and adapt comprehensive sexuality education curricula that is appropriate to their context, along with effective implementation and monitoring measures. It is also a resource for advocacy in favor of young people's health and well-being. The guidance to be developed through a consultative process aimed at ensuring quality, acceptability and ownership, with inputs from practitioners and experts, including young people, from different regions in the Philippines.

There are six key indicators you can look at to get a sense of the financial sustainability of our organization:

• Stakeholder relationships
• Diversified funding sources
• Cash reserves
• Risk management
• Awareness of overheads
• Cash flow health.