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Auntie
Stella - A new web-based resource for adolescent reproductive health
Training
and Research Support Centre (TARSC)
February 08, 2002
The Training
and Research Support Centre (TARSC) based in Harare, Zimbabwe (www.tarsc.org)
announces the creation of a new site linked to the TARSC website
specifically developed for young people to engage in discussion
and problem solving on issues related to their reproductive health.
The website
Auntie Stella: Teenagers talk about sex, life and relationships
can be reached through the TARSC address above or directly on
www.auntiestella.org.
The site has been adapted from the print version of Auntie Stella
which has been successfully used by youth in and out of school.
Both the print
and electronic versions use the question and reply format of problem
page letters written to agony aunts in magazines, a popular source
of information for young people. The basic method is for a question
letter to be read and the problem discussed, usually in small single-sex
groups, or by individuals reflecting on their own. They then turn
to Auntie Stella’s reply for expert information and suggestions
about how to apply any new knowledge in real life, and to explore
ways to change their behaviour.
There are over
30 ‘questions’ covering such topics as emotional and physical changes
in adolescence, relationships with peers, parents and the opposite
sex, forced sex, gender roles, wanted and unwanted pregnancy, STDs
and HIV/AIDS.
The content
of the letters, as well as the format and methodology used, was
based on research with secondary school students in Zimbabwe and
reflect their real experiences, needs and concerns.
The website
also includes detailed information to facilitators on various ways
young people can use the site, a glossary of difficult words and
a bulletin board in which young people from around the world can
talk to each other about issues related to sex, life and relationships.
The emphasis is on creating an informal and non-judgmental atmosphere
where teenagers can work in privacy and focus on their own experiences,
knowledge and needs.
Using a participatory
(PRA) approach throughout, Auntie Stella stresses that young
people should learn through discussion and through doing things
themselves, rather than by having teachers/facilitators (who know)
pour knowledge into teenagers (who don’t know). The PRA philosophy
begins with the knowledge and experience of the learners, and uses
various methods to provoke discussion and encourage them to action.
The print version
has been widely used in schools in Zimbabwe, as well as in AIDS
support organisations, youth centres, sports clubs, child abuse
support centres, family planning centres, and church and debating
clubs.
Auntie Stella
was developed by Barbara Kaim, Programme Manager of the Adolescent
Reproductive Health Project at TARSC. TARSC is a Zimbabwean non-profit
organisation which provides training, research and support services
for civic organisations to develop social capacities, networking
and action. Funding for the print version of Auntie Stella
was provided by Ford Foundation and the Royal Danish Embassy (Danida).
The electronic version was produced with both financial and technical
assistance from World Links for Development (www.world-links.org).
WorLD plays a leading role in promoting the use of information and
communication technology in education and facilitating cultural
understanding among youth across nations through on-line collaborative
projects."
For more information
about TARSC and Auntie Stella, visit TARSC’s website at www.tarsc.org
or contact us at tarsc@mweb.co.zw
or brakaim@mango.zw.
Visit the TARSC
fact
sheet
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
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