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VISION
Empowered gender just communities leading sustainable and quality livelihood.

MISSION
Facilitating the community to gain control over their lives by nurturing their innate capacities to make their own choices.

 
       
     
 

Youth Club Members taking oath on abstinence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Girls in Body mapping session

  
 
Case Studies
illaya Shakthi -  Right Ranga Youth Clubs towards Abstinence
   We are about 20 Unmarried  youth from aged 17 to 25 years all involved in fishing had been motivated  by EMPOWER Staff to form the Right Ranga Club.  We were impressed by “Right Ranga” as the image, voice and style of delivery reminded to Super Star Rajinikanth.  As we are crazy about Rajinikanth we seriously gave attention to the messages in the T.V. and F.M. radio.  

    EMPOWER outreach worker began to speak about Right Ranga and invited us to various programmes such as youth rally and convention.   We participated only in the rally and could not attend the one day convention because all of us were working.  Then the popular Right Ranga Vandi came to our area where we all watched to the panels and learnt information for our healthy life.  

    Again the outreach worker motivated us to form a Right Ranga youth club to sustain the activities of the Right Ranga I.E.C. campaign.   We immediately agreed.  We were sort of loosely knit group with few gym equipments.   We used to this opportunity to stabilize into a youth club.  We requested EMPOWER to buy us some gym equipments which they readily agreed.  

    We immediately cleaned a small piece of vacant land which was formerly rubbish dumping pathway. We fenced it using local materials.  EMPOWER gave us a name board, Carom Board and lot of banners, stickers, posters and 2 standing boards.  We arranged them in our club area and were proud to have an identity. There was a simple inauguration when the Executive Director Mr. Sankar administered the oath and explained about the purpose and objective of the club as follows :

    To promote healthy lifestyle among youth to practice abstinence contributing to prevent STI/HIV/AIDS.

     Frankly many of us have unsafe sex both with women older than our age and also have sex (oral and anal) with young boys.  Though already we know about HIV/AIDS through EMPOWER Staff we did not realize that we are at risk for HIV.  Now, we are meeting everyday in the evening at the club when the outreach workers and the counselors talk to us everyday. We also stocked few boxes of condoms.  

     After undergoing counseling we felt all of us need to be tested for HIV.  EMPOWER thorough an anther NGO called Gramodhaya arranged a VCTC camp with in our Right Ranga Club premises.  We were very worried till the results of all the fifteen members tested were negative.   Then we took a vow that we would reduce our risk behavior and attempt secondary abstinence.  

     Meanwhile EMPOWER had given us gymnastic equipments such as weight lifting a rods and weight up to 2,000 kgs.   We intensively began to concentrate on good physique and exercise regularly.  This has attracted many other youth in our area and membership has increased to 50.  We have collected membership fees for last 3 months and a bought foot ball and volley ball.   So, all the members of the club have a chance to either play games or exercise.

     By channeling our energy in games and physical fitness, the need to have sex has markedly reduced for most of the youth. Only the fraction of the money we earn is given to the family.  The major portion is squandered for alcohol, smoke, sex, cinema and clothes.   Besides, with help of EMPOWER we are in the process of forming self help groups to practice savings and credit to start new entrepreneur initiative.   

     It is true that Right Ranga and EMPOWER had changed the course of our life to make healthy choices and reduce risk.
illaya Shakthi -  Kadal Kanni Girls Teen Health Club make a Sea of Change

    We are 20 members of Kadal Kanni Teen Health Club at Madavanair colony, Therespuram.   The need to form a health club was exciting to us.   Some of us were trained as peer educators and we felt the need to carry prevention messages to the other girls in our neighborhood.    With the guidance of EMPOWER outreach workers we formulated the objective of the club:

    To promote healthy lifestyle among adolescents to practice abstinence contributing to prevent STI/HIV/AIDS.

    We organized about 20 girls in our neighborhood and formed this club explaining the objectives, purpose and the benefits of the club.  We also convinced the parents of the girls who want to become members.   We planned to meet every week Sunday from 5 to 6.00 p.m. and discuss about topics such as

  • Good nutrition
  • Personal hygiene
  • Menstrual and genital hygiene
  • Reproductive health
  • Clarification on myths and misconception.
  • Relationships in life- friendship, Infatuation love, marriage, sex, family etc.
  • Identifying sexual abuses in studying, traveling and working environment.
  • Assessing potential risk situations.
  • RTI/STI.
  • HIV/AIDS.
  • Life skills – Ten WHO prescribed skills.
  • Practicing   role plays- Handling male friends and Protecting from sexual abuses.
  • Woman and gender.
Each topic is facilitated by EMPOWER Counselor and Outreach worker.  When we share our knowledge and life experiences and they factually integrate with our understanding and present with day today simple examples.  We enjoy as we learn.  This is not only useful now but in our future life also.  It is indeed made a sea of change in our lives.