RCA 02 – ZERO PREGNANCIES AT SCHOOL
Project Location
The Central African Republic has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Central Africa. Early pregnancy is a leading cause of female school dropout. In the municipality of Bimbo, many girls drop out of school due to early pregnancy, and the silence surrounding puberty and reproductive health only increases their vulnerability.
Furthermore, poverty and family fragility exacerbate the phenomenon. The consequences are serious: permanent school dropout, early marriage, health risks, social stigmatization, and the perpetuation of the cycle of poverty.
Project description
This project was created to break this vicious cycle through an awareness-raising process that begins in schools, particularly in the CM1 and CM2 classes of public primary schools in the municipality of Bimbo. The aim is to warn girls about the risks associated with early or unwanted pregnancies, encouraging them to continue and complete their education. The initiative involves teachers, parents, and the entire community, promoting greater awareness of the importance of supporting and motivating girls in their studies, with the aim of breaking the cycle of vulnerability and poverty that affects young girls and women in Bimbo.
The project's main activities include:
- Development and dissemination of educational materials
- Awareness-raising sessions in schools, in consultation with teachers, who will integrate the content into regular educational activities
- Training of 20 peer educators who will continue to disseminate prevention messages in schools and neighborhoods
- Meetings with parents to create lasting cultural change
- Engagement of religious and community leaders to foster a lasting change in social norms
- Interactive activities (educational quizzes with symbolic prizes)
The goal is not just to raise awareness for a year, but to create a lasting culture of protection and valorization of girls.
Objectives
- Contribute to reducing school dropout rates among girls in grades CM1 and CM2 in the 10 public primary schools in Bimbo through the prevention of early pregnancy.
- Reduce the number of early pregnancies in the participating schools.
- Raise awareness among students (both girls and boys) about the physical, psychological, and social risks of early pregnancy.
- Strengthen girls' psychosocial skills (assertiveness, decision-making, and resistance to pressure).
- Promote parent-child dialogue on reproductive health.
Beneficiaries
Direct: approximately 2,000 girls in CM1 and CM2 classes in 10 public schools in Bimbo.
Indirect: classmates, teachers, parents, and the entire local community.
Referent sister of the project: sr Juliette Makolet
Project's costs