From 10th October to 2nd November, JOICFP conducted the second counterpart training course for JICA's "Project for Strengthening Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) in the Republic of Nicaragua."

The course focused on:

• Youth friendly services
• Strengthening community networking
• Strengthening health administration management

In Japan, the participants met with JFPA to learn about its youth friendly clinic and the process of designing the clinic to meet the needs of young people. The participants, for example, found the use of the wall in the Q&A corner as a media tool to be valuable.

Young people can anonymously ask questions,
and answers are posted
on this wall to educate all those interested

Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture, is one of the most advanced cities in terms of ARH activities in Japan. The participants met with city health officials and heard about a peer counseling program conducted among local government, schools, and local NGOs such as the Tochigi Society on Adolescent Health (Tochiken).

Tochiken comprises representatives from many fields, including doctors, public health nurses, midwives, teachers, counselors, and law enforcement, all of whom can contribute to ARH, and the society works effectively in collaboration with prefectural and municipal government.

The trainees were able to observe peer counseling activities such as counseling by e-mail in Tochiken's 'Clover Peer Room', which is managed together by Tochiken and the local government, and met with peer counselors in Jichi Medical School.

Talking with peer counselors

Other activities included a visit to a junior high school to learn about the health curriculum and facilities, sex education, and observe education on drug abuse through drama.

The Philippines

JOICFP implemented UNFPA-supported community-based RH projects from 1992 to 2004 in Batangas and Capiz provinces, and a RH/nutrition project in Batangas from 2000 to 2005, with the support of Ajinomoto.

For four days, the Nicaraguan trainees visited Batangas to learn firsthand experiences in community-based RH with ARH components.

They were impressed to see how some project activities had been sustained after the project ended, and how certain project activities had been institutionalized as well. The commitment by the local government and community leaders to ARH was also recognized as a key factor in the success of activities.

The governor of Batangas has been very supportive
of ARH in the province

Observing an ARH session in Taysan municipality,
Batangas, by youth promoters

The trainees also met with two NGOs, Likhaan and the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines, to learn about the active participation of youth promoters in advocacy.

These Likhaan youth volunteers take an active role in promoting ARH in the community

Action plan

The Nicaraguan counterparts were able to develop an action plan based on what they learned during the course. This included training of youth promoters, strengthening networking with local government, and implementing monitoring and data collection with community participation.

Even though Japan, the Philippines and Nicaragua have different economic and social situations, the participants discovered common issues for young people and key lessons to improve the reproductive health of adolescents.