HopeCore’s Health Education Program
HopeCore’s health education lectures were the foundation of our health education program. I give these lectures at our 72 partner schools when we visit them to conduct our school-based mobile clinics. Each presentation is age-appropriate and targets a specific audience to facilitate maximum understanding. The wide-ranging health curriculum topics include hygiene, nutrition, common diseases, malaria, first aid, fire/road/water safety, recreational drugs, sexual and reproductive health, adolescent development, reproduction, contraceptives, and STIs/HIV/AIDS.
As an educator, I always aim to capture the students’ attention before, during, and after my presentations. To do this, I use PowerPoint presentations to help visual learners retain information. In small schools, I conduct two presentations: upper and lower primary. When we go to big schools, I conduct four presentations so that the class size isn’t too large and students can hear and understand the lecture and later not be discouraged from asking questions. I also do practical demonstrations with both upper and lower primary levels and often hold discussions after the formal presentation is over, especially with upper primary students on popular topics such as sexual health and adolescent development.
The health education presentations I provide as part of the HopeCore mobile clinics are intended to give students lessons about things that are not taught in the school curriculum. Because of this, most students always have so many questions, especially about sexual and reproductive health, as I mentioned earlier. I do my best in providing answers to these questions and referring students to trusted persons who may be able to answer their questions if I’m not able to.
I conduct frequent evaluations of student understanding whenever I visit a school so as to ascertain whether or not lessons need to be re-taught or expanded upon. I also ask students what they would like information about, which is how new presentations have been created. For example, in 2014, we learned from the students themselves that there is a recreational drug problem among youths in some communities, and from there, we developed a drug abuse presentation that I am giving to schools this year. The HopeCore health education program is ever-changing and ever-growing. We continue to improve it for the benefit of the school children, and by association, the communities we serve in general.
With the education the pupils and students receive, the HopeCore public health staff, as well as the students’ teachers, have noticed that hygiene and health have improved in genera. I personally have witnessed that they are able to express themselves better, understand their bodies and feel more comfortable in them, and feel more prepared for future life.
I am always inspired while giving educational information and support to pupils because it is rewarding to know that I can do something to help young people as they grow into adulthood and receive the knowledge and skills to live healthy and productive lives. I love my job at HopeCore and I believe through the organization I am making a huge difference in the lives of the pupils and communities.
Written by Lennah Mwende, HopeCore’s health educator.