NGO Organises Sexuality Education Training For Osun Teachers
A non-governmental organisation, Action Health Incorporated, in collaboration with the Osun State government, has organised a three-day training for 45 secondary school teachers in the state on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and the prevention of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The training was organised with support from the United Nations Population Fund under the UNFPA-UNICEF joint programme on the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation.
Speaking during the training held at the State Secretariat, Abeere, on Thursday, the Gender/Reproductive Health Analyst, Dr Esther Somefun, said the training was to provide the teachers with the various delivery methods to ensure that they are able to deliver information in a contextual, adolescent and youth-friendly manner.
“One thing the training has equally done is to provide the teachers with the various delivery methods to ensure that the information that they’ve been taught, they are able to deliver it in a contextual manner, and also in an adolescent and youth-friendly manner.
“We expect that beyond this training, the teachers are going to go back and set up clubs, or if there have xisting clubs, they are going to integrate sexuality education into those clubs that they have in existence,” she noted.
Dr Somefun who is also the Comprehensive Sexuality Education focal point for UNFPA, said the essence was to ensure that the young persons have age-appropriate information that will help them to make informed choices and decisions.
“All of this is geared at a young person achieving their potential, which is one of UNFA’s strengths, that every young person, every adolescent and young person achieves their full potential.
“We believe that these teachers who have been trained are going to go back to their various schools, and they’re going to make an impact, and definitely our young people will be vibrant young persons at the end of the day,” she added.
Earlier in her remarks on the first day of the training, the South-West Gender/FGM Analyst for UNFPA, Mrs Uzoma Ayodeji, said the training was designed to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills to engage students on sexuality education and to accelerate efforts toward ending FGM.
Ayodeji explained that participants, drawn from both public and private schools across the state, would be expected to step down the training in their various schools to reach more students, particularly young girls.
“Teachers are the nurturers of every Nigerian child. They are frontline actors in education, and they are in daily contact with these teenagers.
“In the past, we would bring students out directly for training. Now, we are scaling up by training teachers so they can form school clubs and pass on the same knowledge to all the girls in their schools, not just a selected few,” Ayodeji said.
She noted that since Action Health Incorporated began its intervention in Osun, several initiatives aimed at ending FGM had been implemented, leading to a significant decline in the state’s prevalence rate.
“The impact is visible. We are making progress, and we are hopeful that by 2030, FGM will be completely eradicated in Osun State,” she added.
Earlier in her welcome address, Programme Officer, Action Health Incorporated, Fatimah Idris, urged participants to ensure they transfer the knowledge gained to their students and other teachers.
She emphasised that teachers have a critical role to play in the fight against FGM and should treat their students as their own children.
“Your classrooms are the safest spaces these young people have outside their homes. Use that trust to protect them and give them the right information,” Idris said.
Idris added that the organisation would continue to provide support to ensure the teachers effectively deliver the lessons in their schools.
“If we all take ownership of this fight, we will break the cycle of silence and ensure that no girl in Osun suffers the pain and trauma of FGM,” Idris said.
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In his goodwill message, the Director of Basic Education in the Osun State Ministry of Education, Mr. Mayowa Oyetunji, encouraged participants to fully engage with the training, stressing that the knowledge and skills acquired would strengthen classroom delivery.
“On behalf of the state government, I want to appreciate Action Health Incorporated for this training. I urged our teachers to use this opportunity to learn, unlearn, and relearn. What you take back to your schools will shape the future of the children under your care,” Mr Oyetunji said.
One of the participants, Adeola Adetoye, lauded the organisers for the initiative, adding, “I really enjoyed the training because what I didn’t know before, I learned yesterday, likewise today too. So I believe that at the end of this training, I will go and apply what I have learned to my students.
“My admission for the organiser of this training is that they should not stop this training. They should continue the training because there are so many people there who have not heard of this training and they don’t know about this program.”
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
