| A large number of young people, drawn from the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, the Junior Red Cross and the community, found much pleasure and learning opportunities in attending a three-day workshop on Reproductive Health at the Teachers’ Resource Centre. |
It was conducted this week by Mario Aguilar, the Regional Adviser on Reproductive Health for the United Nations Population Fund. “The purpose of my visit to Anguilla is to provide technical support to the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and especially the AIDs Programme,” he said. “The aim is to train a group of young people in reproductive matters including family planning, teenage pregnancy prevention, peer support groups, cancer and HIV/AIDS.” He said the youngsters were considered to be leaders in the community. “You need to invest in the leaders and improve the quality of knowledge and tools that that they have so that they can be role models to others,” he observed.“These are really good boys and girls and if we provide them with the right tools, they are going to make a difference in the community.” Mr. Aguilar was asked how responsive the young people were to the workshop.“Beautiful. They are a very interesting group and the more we get to know each other, the easier it is to work together,” he replied.
One of the workshop participants, JahdoVanterpool, a Comprehensive School student, said: “To me, the workshop means a whole lot as it teaches me a lot of stuff that I never would have gotten around to even by research.” He saw AIDS as a very serious disease. “I don’t want to catch it for sure so the fight against it is a good thing,” he added. “The facilitator came over convincingly and has been able to interest us by introducing a little fun and making the workshop interesting.” Another participant who commented was Brittany Jeffers, a member of the Junior Red Cross. She said her group was not among the others actively involved in the HIV/AIDS aspect of work, but instead first aid training and dealing with incidents including natural disasters. She said she would take the information shared at the workshop to her colleagues in both the Junior and Senior Red Cross. Ms. Jeffers said reproductive health was an all-round important matter and she was grateful to have been one of the workshop participants.“This is one of the first workshops that I have really been to and I have never lost interest,” said the 20-year-old teacher. “I found it very educating and Mr. Aguilar is one of those educators who allow you to be part of the sessions instead of just listening to him all the time.” Mr. Aguilar also conducted separate training sessions for members of the Junior Red Cross and persons involved Gender Affairs. |
