[Aims and Objectives] [Achievements] [Strategic Implementation Actions] [Life Skills Management] [Peer Education] [Who is a Peer Educator?] [Who can become a Peer Educator - Training Content] [Peer Counselling - Why? - What? - How? - Not? - Training Content]
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| This programme for youth set up since March 1994, has already been institutionalised within the structures of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. |
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| To empower youth for a healthy life style, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has trained a significant number of young people in: |
 Life Skills Management
Peer Education programme for the presentation of Life Skill Management Modules. Peer Counseling. |
All these young people are operating in the field to respond positively to some of the acute problems like juvenile delinquency, unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, threats of HIV infections and psychological problems which young people face. |
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To set up a twin programme of education and counseling which will :
| Enable young people to plan their lives in a more realistic and responsible way through Life Skills Management Modules. | | Provide a Peer to Peer Counseling Service in the Youth Centres. | | Focus on needs, aspirations, concerns and problems of young people. | | Organise Information Education and Communication Programmes in youth organisations and colleges. | |
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| Young people have been trained as Peer Counselors. | | Young people have been trained as Peer Educators. | | Young people from Youth Centres and Colleges have followed the Life Skills Management Courses. | | A Life Skills Management training manual has been developed, and a Counseling Guide produced for Peer Counselors. | | A Peer Counseling Service for Youth is operational in five centres : Trèfles, Goodlands, Souillac, Helvetia and Floréal. | |
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| To empower young people with life skills courses. | | To sensitise parents, teachers, religious leaders and health personnel to be sensitive to problems pertaining to youth. | | To train young people as Peer Educators so that they can provide information to other young people. | | | To train young people in counseling skills so that they can become agents of change by providing support in peer to peer counseling to other young people in distress. | | | To equip teachers of both primary and secondary schools with life skills approaches so that they can better understand the difficult period of adolescence and help adolescents in their development at stage and growing up. | | | To provide counseling services in youth centres, secondary schools and institutions dealing with youth. | | | To organise aggressive sensitisation and awareness campaigns on various issues using multi-media approaches i.e. through publicity as posters, radio and TV spots, billboards, publications, pamphlets and brochures. | | | To organise workshops and seminars for health and para-medical personnel to make them become sensitive to youth problems so that they can provide youth friendly services. | | | To organise yoga, meditation and aerobics sessions in youth centres and social welfare centres. | | | To strengthen Peer Support Programmes in deprived and high risk areas. | | | To provide accurate information and guidance to young people who are planning to get married i.e. pre-marital counseling. | | | To conduct awareness creation programmes on sexual and reproductive health education for out of school youth, those at risks as well as parents and service providers. | | | To provide adolescent friendly services including HELP lines for information on sexual and reproductive health. | | | To introduce sensitisation programmes on male involvement in family life, highlighting role sharing and responsibilities i.e. parenting skills | |
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| Make a life for yourself before you make another life The Life Skills Management course is composed of nine modules:
INTRODUCTION - Being young and growing up in Mauritius today |
| Identity - knowing who I am and liking myself | | Values - What is important to me and to others? | | Stereotypes - Is my Life already planned? | | Achievements - What do I want to accomplish? | | Choices - How do I weigh up and deal with my options? | | Parenthood - Am I ready? | | Sexuality - How does it affect my relationships and responsibilities? | | Risks - Protecting myself from STD’s HIV, AIDS | | Communication - How can I express my feelings and emotions to others? | |
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| Peer Education can simply be described as Young People helping Young People. We know that there are certain issues that young people feel more at ease to discuss with other young people instead of adults. Sexuality, relationships, decision-making, drugs and alcohol are the most popular topics that friends discuss among themselves. Sometimes however, incorrect information is communicated around because young people may not have the correct information. |
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| This is why we have PEER EDUCATORS
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| A peer educator is a young person who has attended special training sessions where information has been given on the following topics :- | | Adolescence : pubertal development including bodily changes. | | Drugs and alcohol | | Sexually Transmitted Diseases including HIV/AIDS | | Teenage Pregnancy | | Decision-making skills | | Healthy life choices | | | | | | They are also taught : | | Basic Communication Skills | | Basic Counseling Skills | Peer Educators also know where they can refer other people who need professional help |
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Who can become a Peer Educator? |
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| YOUNG PEOPLE OF 16 TO 25 |
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| Peer Educators will work in close collaboration with Youth Officers of the Population and Family Life. |
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| Training of Peer Educators programme |
| SESSIONS | MORNING SESSION | AFTERNOON SESSION | | 1 | Introduction to the course Pretest Module Presentation- Objective and Overview | Life style of young people- Positive attitudes to life. Understanding Adolescence | | 2 | PEER EDUCATION: What is Peer Education? Why Peer Education? Qualities of Peer Education? | PROJECT WRITE UP Objectives- Choosing a topic- Gathering information- Final presentation | | 3 | Presentation Skills- How to prepare a session Training Techniques:- Teaching Strategy- Structure of a session- Session Planning- Session Presentation- Evaluating of session | Personality Development Modules Identity - Who am I? | | 4 | Leadership Skills- Understanding leadership- Leadership qualities | Personality Development Modules Values - What is important to me and to others? Presentation of skeleton project | | 5 | Use of Audio Visual Aids in presentation programmes - Importance- Selection of Audio-Visual- Use of common audio-visual: Posters, Flip charts, Pamphlets | Personality Development Modules Stereotypes - Is my life already planned? | | 6 | Identity problems of young people in my area | Personality Development Modules Achievements (Goal Setting) - What do I want to do and to accomplish? | | 7 | Problems of young people- Generation Gap & Alcohol and drugs | Personality development Module Choices (Decision-making) - How do I weigh up and deal with my options? | | 8 | Assertiveness | Parenthood - Am I ready? Review of project write-up | | 9 | Sexuality:- Teenage and unwanted pregnancy- Abortion- Method of contraceptives | Sexuality - How does it affect my relationships and responsibilities? Reproductive Health Issue | | 10 | Risks - STD/HIV/AIDS Prevention Program | Practical / Group Presentation Submission of projects | | 11 | Human Relations | Communication - How can I express my feelings and emotions to others? | | 12 | Written Assessment | | | 13 | Study Visit | | | 14-16 | Presentation of Modules in Youth Centres/Organisations | | | 17-18 | Placement in Youth Centres during 'Special Vacances' | | |
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Peer counseling programmes have increased dramatically over the last ten years. There are now peer programmes in elementary schools, universities, colleges, hospitals, youth centres, clinics, agencies and senior citizen centres. The greatest acceleration has occurred in secondary schools, and the reasons for this growth are clear. Peer counseling empowers adolescents to deal with substance abuse, drinking and driving, suicide, loneliness, low self-esteem and other situations that interfere with student learning. Peer counseling teaches young people decision-making skills to help combat the impact of negative peer pressure. Peer counseling contributes to the atmosphere of care needed by educational institutions to reduce vandalism, truancy and drop-outs.
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Peer counseling is based on the fact that students most often seek out other students when they are experiencing some frustration, worry or concern. Students want to help each other, yet they often do not know how or what to do. Peer counselors are trained and supervised to provide: |
| | listening and understanding; | | | friendship and support; | | | decision-making assistance; | | | tutoring and academic help; | | | role modeling for younger students; | | | problem solving assistance; and | | | referral to professionals | |
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How Do Peer Counselors Help? |
| Peer counselor roles are determined by training and school needs. Some typical assignments include working as: | | Tutors | helping students with academic and social learning; | | | Buddies | helping younger or new students make transitions into a new school; | | | Orientation Guides | helping students from feeder schools; | | | Discussion Leaders | assisting with topics of concern to other students; | | | Career Assistants | helping with career choices and
resources; | | | Special Project Assistants | designing and coordinating projects of benefit to students and others in the community; | | | Academic Assistants | helping students set goals, consider options and plan actions; | | | Referral Agents | helping students get connected to appropriate specialists; | | | Peer Counselors | helping others sort out concerns, brainstorm ideas and provide practical help; | | | Conflict Mediators | assisting students in resolving disputes; | | | Role Models | helping students learn appropriate behaviors;
| | | Outreach Workers | reaching out to troubled or lonely students. | |
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What Peer Counseling is Not! |
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Peer counselors do not make decisions for others. They may suggest options or alternatives and identify consequences, but they do not give advice or tell others what to do. Peer counselors do not provide therapy or treatment. They are neither replacements for professional counselors, nor are they substitutes for clerical staff.
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| Peer Counselor's Training Programme |
| 1st Session | | 1st part | Pretest
Overview of Adolescent Sexuality and Reproductive Health
Understanding adolescents
(i) Physical changes
(ii) Emotional changes
(iii) Sexual changes and behaviors | | 2nd part | Psychodynamics of counseling
(a) What is counseling?
(b) Aims of counseling
(c) Basic counseling techniques | | 2nd Session | | 1st part | Overview of Adolescent Sexuality and Reproductive Health (contd)
(i) Consequences of unprotected sex
(ii) Some methods of pregnancy prevention
(iii) Prevention of STD/HIV/AIDS
Resource person from AIDS Unit | | 2nd part | Psychodynamics of counseling (contd)
(a) What is psychodynamics of counseling?
(b) Communication and counseling
(c) Counseling skills
(d) Common errors in counseling. | | 3rd Session | | 1st part | Micro skills in communication
(a) Listening
(b) Attending
(c) Verbal - Non-Verbal
(d) Open - Closed questions
(e) Reflecting of fact
(f) Reflecting of feelings | | 2nd part | Practise counseling skills
(a) Pairs
(b) Triad - role play | | 4th Session | | 1st part | Micro skills in communication (contd)
(a) Reflecting back
(b) Paraphrasing
(c) Summarizing | | 2nd part | Practise counseling skills (contd)
(a) Pairs
(b) Triad - Role play | | 5th session | | 1st part | (a) The initial interview
(b) Service considerations | | 2nd part | (a) Role plays
(b) Practise counseling skills | | 6th session | | 1st part | (a) Difficult moments in counseling
(b) Role of the counselor | | 2nd part | Video film on counseling
Discussion | | 7th session | | 1st part | Qualities of a counselor
Directory of referrals | | 2nd part | Case studies
Role plays | | 8th session | | 1st part | Visit to a counseling service | | 2nd part | Discussion | | 9th session | | 1st part | Case studies
Practising counseling skills
Preparation of counseling guides | | 2nd part | Video film on counseling
Discussion | | 10th session | | | Written Evaluation | |
