Program for Adolescents
The ‘Program for Adolescents’ has been in operation as a mainstream program since July 2019. With the motto of ‘Investment in Adolescents for Sustainable Development’, the program supports formation of two adolescent clubs in each Ward (one for boys and another for girls). These clubs run with the help of 66 Partner Organizations (POs) in 143 upazilas of 55 districts throughout the country. So far, 23,045 adolescent clubs, having 5,12,233 members, have been established under the program. The main objective of the program is to develop enhanced moral values in the future generation. The activities are conducted in four wider categories: awareness raising and practicing moral values, leadership and life-skill development, nutrition and healthcare, and cultural and sports activities.
Clubs and Forums
Lakh Adolescents
Upazilas
- Awareness Raising and Practicing Moral Values:
Under the component, a range of activities like discussion meeting and workshop are conducted to raise awareness against child marriage, violence against women, sexual harassment, dowry, substance abuse. In addition, the Adolescent Clubs arrange discussion meetings and quiz competitions to mark different national and international days. Training programs on tree plantation campaigns are also arranged regularly.
- Leadership and Life-skill Development
At the Adolescent Clubs, training and discussion sessions are organized on leadership qualities and development, moral values and skill development, correct pronunciation, management of libraries, developing the habit of savings, and nutritional food preservation ways.
- Nutrition and Healthcare
Adolescent clubs conducted discussion meetings, workshops and nutrition camps to make the club members aware about the good physical and mental health, and encourage the adolescents to better maintain personal hygiene. Besides, blood grouping, blood sugar, blood pressure, BMI measurement, nutritious food intake, physical exercise and different healthcare services are regularly being provided. In 2022-23, 516 training and orientation sessions on nutrition and healthcare issues were held where 19,266 club members participated. Blood grouping of 1,896 adolescents were conducted. Besides, 864 adolescent girls received sanitary napkins.
- Cultural and Sports Activities
Book reading, music, poetry recitation, debate and drawing competitions, were organized to offer a platform for the adolescent girls and boys to showcase their abilities. Moreover, football, volleyball, handball, badminton competitions were also organized by the adolescent clubs. In 2022-23, 2,309 events on cultural programs and 2,583 sporting events were organized. The members of adolescent clubs reported to the local administration of 285 incidences of child marriage, 411 cases of dowry and 233 cases of sexual harassment, abuse of women, children and the elderly.
Adolescent Empowerment Training
Residential training courses were organized in two batches on ‘Adolescent Empowerment’ to develop capacity for the program-implementing officers from the grassroots. Twenty officers from PKSF and 49 from Partner Organizations attended the training course formulated on the basis of the ‘Standardized Adolescent Empowerment Package (SAEP)’ prepared by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh in collaboration with UNICEF.