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MyQuestion and MyAnswerCountry
Nigeria
Programme Summary
Learning about Living, a project that aims to use information and communication technologies (ICTs) to educate young people on issues around adolescent reproductive health, is running two information and advice services for young people in Nigeria called MyQuestion and MyAnswer. These services, launched in November 2007 by the United Kingdom (UK) charity OneWorld UK and Butterfly Works (NL) in collaboration with other key Nigerian health non-governmental organisations (NGOs), allow young people to request information on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS through short messaging system (SMS), by going online or by phoning a hotline. It also involves a competition which requires that young people answer a set question each month related to HIV/AIDS. Communication StrategiesTo complement an existing toll-free hotline service which is run by the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA), Learning about Living launched MyQuestion to expand the service to include questions from mobile phones and the Learning about Living website. According to the organisers, by offering three communication options - SMS, online, and landline - MyQuestion gives young people increased opportunities to participate and caters to youth with different needs and circumstances. The organisation believes that it is important to create safe spaces for young people to come forward with their sensitive questions and that even the shyest teenager should feel comfortable posing questions about sexual health through SMS or online because they do not have to say the question out loud. MyQuestion services are offered at no cost and are answered by trained counselors based in the Abuja office of the Nigerian NGO Education as a Vaccine Against AIDS (EVA). The second service, MyAnswer, involves a competition which allows young people to win prizes by answering a monthly question. Young people enter the competitions by texting their answer to the number provided or by going online. Each month, ten winners are picked amongst the correct entries. The competition opened on World AIDS Day, December 1 2007, with the question "What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?" MyAnswer aims to engage and motivate young people to learn and reflect on various issues related to HIV/AIDS and reproductive health. The questions are announced on radio programmes, on the Learn About Living website, through schools, and through youth organisations. Development IssuesHIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health. Key PointsMyQuestion and MyAnswer services received more than 2,500 contributions within five days of the service going live. MyQuestion and MyAnswer form part of the larger Learning about Living programme, which includes the development and implementation of an e-learning tool based on the Nigerian Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education (FLHE) school curriculum. The project is being piloted in three locations across Nigeria: Lagos, Cross Rivers State, and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. In each of these regions, an NGO is serving as the implementing partner alongside various state government organisations. PartnersNigerian and international partners, ActionAid International Nigeria, Action Health Incorporated, Education as a Vaccine Against AIDS (EVA), Butterfly Works Netherlands, MTN Foundation, Federal Ministry of Education, and Federal Ministry of Health. ContactSourceEmail from Finola Robinson to Soul Beat Africa on December 3 2007; and Learning about Living website, accessed October 26 2009. Placed on the Communication Initiative site April 24 2008 Last Updated October 27 2009 How useful did you find the knowledge and contacts on this page to your work? Post your comments (review comments from others below):COMMENTS POSTED |
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Just the type of info I was searching since
I work in Zimbabwe on adolescent reproductive health. I went online to look at your learning about living website and think this is a wonderful programme (am going to use the self esteem exercise with my daughter - only i am going to have us each make a hand for ourselves and then make one for each other and then connect them all together). I was wondering if you have thought of putting it on a cd so that those with slow internet access to use it. (many schools in urban areas have access to computers but not necessarily the internet. )
thanks
lisa