Art Can! Reaching Young People about SRH through Art
Adequate and appropriate information on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) including HIV/AIDS, is fundamentally important to a healthy and productive life, especially for young people. As young people grow, they face important decisions about relationships, sexuality, and their sexual behaviours. The decisions they make can impact their health and well-being for the rest of their lives. Young people have the right to lead healthy lives and society has the responsibility to prepare them by providing them with comprehensive sexual health education that gives them the tools they need to make healthy decisions.
Creative arts refer to a range of activities that allow for artistic and imaginative expressions, such as music, art, creative movement, and drama. Creative arts engage young people’s minds, bodies, and senses. It inspires people to listen, observe, discuss, move, solve problems, and imagine using multiple modes of thought and self‐expression. Creative art in SRH is an approach that allows us to look at our life experiences and understand better why we behave as we do and the effects of our behaviours. It helps us find ways to improve our sexual health and develop habits that are safe and healthy for everyone. This is different from the types of health promotion approaches that gives young people direct rules and message. It also allows young people to analyse problems, generate and explore alternative solutions
Creative arts can play a range of roles in SRH programmes for young people; it brings people together and creates the opportunity for collective problem solving, stimulates discussion and critical understanding of sexual health concerns, allows young people explore their sexuality and query social and gender norms, develop individual and group skills and gives young people ability to have more control over lives, creates mutual support and positive peer pressure.
Recently, HACEY’s Safe Space organized a 3-day art camp for young girls from underserved communities in Lagos State. The Safe Space Art Camp used the BuildaBridge model for learning and taught the beneficiaries about leadership and career, sexual reproductive health and rights and life-skills through art.
BuildaBridge is a non-profit arts education and intervention organization based in New York. Their mission is to engage creative people and the transformative power of art to bring hope and healing to marginalized communities in the contexts of crisis and poverty.
The Safe Space is a program that provides the opportunity for girls aged 14-20 to learn about their sexual and reproductive health, leadership, career and feel free to openly express themselves in a safe, confidential and non-judgmental environment.
By Mary Adeoye
Kifaa cha Sanaa! Kufikia vijana kuhusu afya ya kijinsia na uzazi kupitia sanaa Habari ya kutosha na sahihi juu ya afya ya kijinsia na uzazi (SRH) ikiwa ni pamoja na VVU au Ukimwi, ni muhimu sana kwa maisha ya afya na uzalishaji, haswa kwa vijana. Vijana wanapokua, wanakabiliwa na maamuzi muhimu kuhusu mahusiano, ngono, na tabia zao za kingono. Maamuzi wanayofanya yanaweza kuathiri afya na hali yao ya afya kwa maisha yao yote. Vijana wana haki ya kuishi maisha yenye afya na jamii ina jukumu la kuwaandaa kwa kuwapa elimu kamili ya afya ya ngono ambayo huwapa zana wanazohitaji kufanya maamuzi yenye afya. Sanaa za ubunifu ni aina ya shughuli ambazo zinaruhusu usemi wa kisanii na wa kufikiria, kama vile muziki, sanaa, harakati za ubunifu, na mchezo wa kuigiza. Sanaa za ubunifu huvutia akili, miili, na hisi za vijana. Inawachochea watu kusikiliza, kuchunguza, kujadili, kuhama, kutatua matatizo, na kuwazia wakitumia njia nyingi za kufikiri na kujieleza. Sanaa ya ubunifu katika SRH ni mbinu ambayo inaruhusu sisi kuangalia uzoefu wetu wa maisha na kuelewa vizuri zaidi kwa nini sisi tabia kama sisi kufanya na athari za tabia zetu. Inatuwezesha kupata njia za kuboresha afya yetu ya kingono na kukuza tabia ambazo ni salama na zenye afya kwa kila mtu. Hii ni tofauti na aina ya mbinu za kukuza afya ambazo huwapa vijana sheria na ujumbe wa moja kwa moja. Uundaji wa sanaa unaweza kucheza majukumu mbalimbali katika mipango ya afya ya kijinsia na kijinsia kwa vijana; huleta watu pamoja na kuunda fursa ya kutatua matatizo ya pamoja; huchochea majadiliano na uelewa muhimu wa wasiwasi wa afya ya kijinsia; huwawezesha vijana kuchunguza ngono yao na kuuliza kanuni za kijamii na jinsia; kukuza ujuzi wa mtu binafsi na wa kikundi; na huwapa vijana uwezo wa kuwa na udhibiti zaidi juu ya maisha yao. Hivi karibuni, HACEY's Safe Space iliandaa kambi ya sanaa ya siku tatu kwa wasichana wadogo kutoka jamii zisizo na huduma katika Jimbo la Lagos. Kambi ya Sanaa ya Nafasi Salama ilitumia mfano wa BuildaBridge kwa kujifunza na kuwafundisha watendaji juu ya uongozi na kazi, afya ya kijinsia na uzazi na haki na ujuzi wa maisha kupitia sanaa. BuildaBridge ni shirika lisilo la faida la elimu ya sanaa na uingiliaji lililo na makao yake makuu huko New York. Ujumbe wao ni kuhusisha watu wa ubunifu na nguvu ya mabadiliko ya sanaa kuleta matumaini na uponyaji kwa jamii zilizotengwa katika muktadha wa mgogoro na umaskini. "Mfano wa mpango huu ni ""Safe Space"" ambao huwapa wasichana wenye umri wa miaka 14-20 fursa ya kujifunza kuhusu afya yao ya kijinsia na uzazi, uongozi, kazi na kujisikia huru kujieleza waziwazi katika mazingira salama, ya siri na yasiyo ya hukumu." Kwa Mary Adeoye