This Friday – September 26th – DSW along with the rest of the international community will celebrate World Contraception Day 2014. This annual worldwide campaign centers around a vision for a world where every pregnancy is wanted. DSW is a proud partner for World Contraception Day 2014, and this year we are paying particular attention to our hugely successful project GeNext Uganda: “My Life, My Future!”.
Each day this week as we head towards World Contraception Day 2014 on Friday, we celebrate a story from one of our youth champions! Today is the turn of Kenneth.
Through the use of information and communication technology, youth in Uganda today are part of the global community and instantly reach out to one another. This makes it so easy for peers to talk and interact while in different geographical locations.
As a GeNext Youth Champion, it is now super easy for me to reach hundreds of youth with information on family planning and sexual and reproductive health and facilitate answers to questions through instant messages. The world revolves around technology and this is ‘the in thing’ for youth. Many youth, especially in urban areas in Uganda own a smart phone, laptop, tablet or a personal computer and through these gadgets youth access information.
“With social media I reach out to thousands of youth with family planning messages”
The use of social media platforms such as facebook and other applications like Instagram, Twitter, Viber, Google Hangout and Google +, are common among youth.
Through the GeNext Uganda: “My Life, My Future!” facebook page we reach youth with information on sexual and reproductive health, family planning choices, and behavior change messages and a guide on service centers/contacts and locations. Messages on contraceptives and their use, family planning, life skills and social challenges are posted and monitored to gauge the responsiveness and interest.
I encourage every youth to visit the Facebook site and log onto: www.facebook.com/GeNextUganda. It’s fun! It’s educative! It’s interactive!
Kenneth Kintu
I am a peer educator and I work with Reach a Hand Uganda. I am a GeNext Youth Champion!
