Youth Friendly Centers for the Win

Youth Friendly Centres for the Win!

In 2019, SAIPEH managed to set up 3 Youth Friendly Centers in 3 Health facilities in addition to 1 YFC that was set up in 2018 making a total of 4 YFC with the support of TICH and the Ministry of Health. 2 YFCs were established in Mumias East Sub county and 1 in Butere Sub county. In 2018, there was identification of health facilities where the YFCs would be set up. In

Mumias East, each of the 3 Wards was to have 1 YFC while in Butere Sub County, the Kenyan Ministry of

Health was to aid in selection of the health facility.

SAIPEH trained health providers and Community Health Volunteers (CHV’s) on provision of youth friendly services at household level and referrals of Young people to YFCs. SAIPEH then trained 121 out of School peer educators from Community Units attached to the 3 facilities as well as 160 PALS, held education sessions as well as information dissemination to create demand for reproductive health services.

The selected 3 health facilities’ management identified the rooms that were then furnished, branded and equipped by SAIPEH and handed them over to the management of the health facilities ,supported by the trained peer educators. With the presence of YFC in the two sub counties, more young people started to access SRH services in the 3 Youth friendly centers. Through the setting up of the YFC, there has been an increase in uptake of SRH services in these health facilities with 1036 young people in 2019 as compared to 119 in 2018. Community health volunteers also played an important role of referring young people with various SRH issues to the youth friendly centers.

KEY LESSONS LEARNT

There is need to set up more safe spaces in health facilities to enable young people access SRH services.

CHALLENGES

SAIPEH won’t have funds to support the 4 youth friendly centers in 2020 since funding of GUSO Project was not extended to 2020. This comes as a big blow to health facilities since they have inadequate funds to support operations in the YFCs.

Transfer and redeployment of health providers that SAIPEH had trained to other counties has been a challenge as there is need to train the new health care workers.

Through Shianda youth friendly corner, I have been able to get direction on the importance of family planning and demystify the myth that family planning has side effects. I have been taking through various methods of family planning. I have been referred to health provider where she was assisted and put on relevant family planning method that suits my body

Diana Naliaka, Young Person.

We have already received a good number of young people in the centre who have come to seek either SRH services or information and I have urged health workers working in the facility to attend to them without discriminating them

Zainab Lumbasi HCW