At Reach A Hand Uganda, it has long been established that the model of using young people as positive change ambassadors to reach out to more young people is achieving results especially in the hard-to-reach places like Madi Okollo in Adjumani district.
Tazi Liz, a peer educator based in Adjumani is breaking barriers by being the voice of reason for the young people. When COVID19 hit Uganda in March 2020, a lot came to a standstill with the closure of schools affecting young people the most. Young people especially girl child were faced with issues like forced and early marriages, unplanned pregnancies, and child labor.
From the door-to-door mobilization and table talks Tiza conducts every week in Adjumani, she caught wind of 16-year-old Sarah (real name withheld) who was preparing to start a family with her boyfriend. The fact that Sarah hails from a large family who couldn’t take care of her anymore pushed her to brew local alcohol and whatever small money she makes from the activity will act as a starting point for her and the partner.
Tiza interacted and availed Sarah with accurate information that helped her make an informed decision to instead use the money from the brewing business to good back to school. This is just a piece of the achievements Tiza has registered.
Using platforms like the 16 Days of Activism outreaches, Youth Link Up Summit, UNFPA Voices for Young People, and District local meetings Tiza has been vocal about issues affecting young people.
When asked why she joined the 2020 Peer Educators Class, Tiza mentioned that she has always loved to interact with fellow peers and since RAHU is for young people, joining the PEA was the best choice to make.
The Peer Educators Academy is an eight-month program organized to equip young people with information and skills on Sexual Reproductive Health (SRHR) and Rights as well as acquiring the necessary life skills to make informed life choices.
Tiza Liz is part of the 1,755 young people (and growing annually) trained under the peer educators academy. A model that has helped us directly reach over 6,618,171 through various project interventions.
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