Ekiti, NGO Train 26 Youth Mentors to Improve Adolescent Health

The Ekiti State Government, in collaboration with the Life Spring Development Foundation (LSDF), has trained 26 young women as “Big Sisters’’ to promote adolescent sexual and reproductive health in parts of the state.

The five-day training programme was aimed at strengthening maternal health services and reducing preventable deaths among young mothers.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Human Services, Mrs Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, said the initiative was designed to ensure that no woman or young person dies due to lack of access to health information, counselling or pregnancy-related care.

Gbenga-Igotun said the trained “Big Sisters’’ would mentor adolescent girls in their communities and mobilise them to access sexual and reproductive health services at public health facilities.

“Big Sisters can support individual girls through community-led counselling, referrals and follow-up,” she said.

She urged the participants to demonstrate competence and integrity in carrying out their responsibilities, adding that they were expected to provide accurate information and proper guidance to improve adolescent health outcomes.

The Programme Manager of LSDF, Mr Onyeka Nwosu, said the training aligns with the vision of the Federal Ministry of Health under its Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) programme.

Nwosu explained that the programme prioritises strengthening sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents and young people.

According to him, the project adopts a peer-to-peer counselling model that identifies and trains young women from local communities who understand the cultural and social dynamics influencing adolescents’ health-seeking behaviour.

He said the trained participants would provide counselling and information on sexual and reproductive health to adolescents and young people, both girls and boys.

“They will also refer young women to public health facilities to access quality health services,” he said.

Nwosu added that the “Big Sisters’’ would help reduce the stigma often associated with seeking sexual and reproductive health care.

He said the youth champions would also organise community dialogue and awareness activities to address misconceptions and reduce stigma surrounding adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

According to him, the mentors will also mobilise community stakeholders to create an enabling environment that allows young people, especially girls, to access accurate information and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services.

Nwosu expressed confidence that the initiative would contribute to reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among women and young mothers in the state.

In separate goodwill messages, the state Sexual and Reproductive Health Focal Person, Mrs Funmilayo Osho; the SWAp Desk Officer, Mr Gbenga Ogunlana; and the State Adolescent Health Officer, Mrs Tolulope Adewemimo, said the participants were carefully selected through a rigorous process.

They described the “Big Sisters’’ as a vital link between adolescents and health facilities, noting that cultural and religious beliefs often discourage young girls from seeking care for fear of stigmatisation.

Adewemimo said the mentors were expected to bridge the gap by building trust and confidence among adolescents, particularly girls, and encouraging them to access youth-friendly health services.

Responding on behalf of the participants, Mrs Gloria Ore and Ms Toluwani Akintimehin commended the organisers for the initiative, describing it as a step in the right direction.

They also assured the commitment of the beneficiaries to the success of the programme.

The participants were drawn from Oye and Gbonyin Local Government Areas of Ekiti State.

The training forms part of ongoing sexual and reproductive health interventions under the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) programme currently being implemented in eight states across Nigeria.