Healthy life skills are about to become the new trend among students in VET across Moldova. This is the main objective of the new communication campaign “I am the influencer of my life! I choose to make healthy decisions!” launched on September 21 at Pedagogical College "Vasile Lupu" in Orhei, IPN reports.
The campaign is organized within the project “Develop life skills and healthy behaviors of students in Vocational Education & Training for their development and job readiness” implemented by UNFPA with funding support of Austrian Development Agency from funds of Austrian Development Cooperation in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research.
“Indeed, we are the influencers of our lives, whether we are young or adult, with experience or not. The key element if we succeed or not it’s a matter of the information we have, the choices we make and the support we get along the way”, stated Nigina Abaszada, Resident Representative, UNFPA Moldova, underlining that the campaign is focused on the main gaps identified in a UNFPA-ADA-MEC study assessing knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) on the health and life skills of students in technical vocational education.
According to research, many of vocational school students at their 16, 17 years are already displaying very often signs of illness due to unhealthy way of living, are engaged in sexual relations, but don’t know how to protect themselves against unplanned pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections, have difficulties to work in a team, or express their thoughts, or problem solving.
“Society still tends to discriminate against its most vulnerable members and young people that encountered themselves in a difficult situation, easily become such a target. It leads to missed opportunities for young people, and loss of big potential for the labor market, for the society`s sustainable development,” said Gunther Zimmer, Head of the Austrian Development Cooperation’s Coordination. “Our common efforts are focused on preventing youth to get in a risky situation, on informing them about the support network they can access and the healthy decisions they can make.”
The campaign takes place during 21 September 2021 – 31 March 2022 and includes several awareness and information actions, such as: audio/video materials, trainings for journalists, exhibitions in schools, calls to action on social media and a hip hop single created in partnership with local popular hip hop performer Kapushon.
In order to reach the young people through one of their favorite art, through music, the campaign partnered with Kapushon, the hip-hop performer who created a dedicated song, highlighting the key issues in a creative and viral way.
Peer to peer network in the 12 VET institutions will boost the reach of the campaign messages through different activities in schools. The students will be encouraged to visit Youth Kliniks in order to benefit of free sexual and reproductive health information and services, and Youth Centers to develop interpersonal skills through community engagement.
The communication activities will aim to increase the level of knowledge and awareness, on modern contraception use, with a separate focus on condom use, prevention of teenage pregnancy, prevention and reporting of GBV/sexual harassment and abuse and other behavioral risks, as well as regarding the existing support services for youth and the importance of life skills for their job readiness.
According to the KAP study, students in VET institutions, especially in vocational schools, have poor social and employment skills. Only 1/5 (20.9%) of the respondents have well-developed interpersonal skills and only 11.3% have developed skills that can help them get hired, among which efficient communication, team working, critical thinking etc.
25% of sexually active students do not use condom which is the only modern method of contraception that besides the protection against unintended pregnancy or protection against Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and HIV.
Related to pregnancies, one in 5 girls who got pregnant in VET in the study year 2019-2020 dropped out the education because of the pregnancy.
