Save the Children takes a holistic, non-formal approach to youth development, fitting the education system to the students' needs in ways that are relevant to their lives. We spotlight two innovative interventions here:
Egypt: Building Girls' Confidence through Sports
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Participating in sports helps out-of-school girls in rural Egypt develop a positive self-image and leadership skills. |
In 2004, 200 girls in rural Minya, Upper Egypt, graduated from the program known as Ishraq (Arabic for "sunrise"). Initiated jointly with several partners, Ishraq gives out-of-school girls aged 13 to 15 safe spaces in which to learn, play, and grow. In addition to learning literacy and life skills, girls are encouraged to participate in sports and recreational activities — an unprecedented concepts in traditional rural communities, where sports clubs are dominated by males.
By challenging concepts of gender-appropriate behavior, Ishraq's integrated learning and sports program — the first of its kind in the Middle East — is changing how girls perceive themselves. In a recent survey, 99 percent of participants said they will encourage their daughters to play sports and 88 percent said that sports improved their health, increased their social confidence, and helped them develop new friendships. Ishraq's benefits are extending beyond learning and sports, helping girls to make informed, positive decisions about schooling, marriage, family size, and career. Following success of the three-year pilot phase, the project is being scaled up. A range of partners — including the Egyptian Ministry of Youth — is now on board to expand the project into other rural areas so that more out-of-school girls can avoid a life of early marriage and restricted opportunities.
Bolivia: Making Decisions for Life
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A Save the Children team leader talks with teens during a peer-to-peer session at a local health center. |
In the suburbs of Oruro, Bolivia, young people are making more responsible decisions about their futures, thanks to a program known as Tomando Decisiones (Spanish for "making decisions"). Over the past six years, in partnership with several other nongovernmental organizations and Bolivia's Ministries of Health and Education, Save the Children has reached 4,400 youth aged 10 to 18 with an integrated, holistic approach to life planning—from building vocational and computer skills to increasing knowledge about adolescent reproductive health.
Tomando Decisiones equips adolescents with the knowledge and skills they need to lead a healthy, productive life. Vocational training identifies professional and personal goals and translates them—using family and community networks — into future work opportunities. Comprehensive computer training develops a set of technical skills that can be applied to both the local labor market and the pursuit of advanced studies. And a three month curriculum on adolescent reproductive health and safe sexual practices, incorporating peer-to-peer education and youth-friendly services, helps youth make better-informed life decisions.
Across all program activities, Tomando Decisiones recognizes and builds on adolescents' capabilities and assets. At the same time, the program partners with parents, teachers, religious and community leaders, and health-service providers to help them understand adolescents' needs and to enable them to engage adolescents in dialogue and decision-making.
