1.
The Kramfors YPD- group has implemented a safer sex campaign called “Kramfors Safer Love”. The main venue and time for this was during Stadsfesten in Kramfors on June 12th and 13th, where we had a tent with activities and distributed condoms in the festival area.
According to the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (Svenska Smittskyddsinstitutet) Chlamydia, Syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases, are on the rise among young people under the age of thirty in Sweden. This trend is equally prevalent in Kramfors municipality and even though the statistics has shown some improvements in the last two years, the problem remains. In order to combat this problem among youths, a change in risk behavior and attitudes towards sex is required. The Kramfors group is of the opinion that discussions, information and distribution of contraceptives will effectively contribute to positive change.
Throughout the campaign we achieved following objectives:
- To promote awareness of STIs and sexual health in Kramfors
-To engage young people in discussions about sex and sexuality
-To encourage condom usage and safer sex
-To promote access to health services among youth in Kramfors.
2.
The Kramfors YPD-group's main focus has been to target youth about sexually transmitted diseases and sexual health throughout a one-month campaign. The group has distributed condoms and information through leaflets and discussions, and also engaged youths in games and activities centered around sexual health and behavior. However, it has been a vision for the group to not only focus on the negative aspects of sexual behavior, but also to promote a fun and healthy sexuality.
Our first practice took place at the Kramfors city square, on 23rd of May. We had an information table, invited people to join our “sex and STI-quiz walk”, distributed condoms and served coffee and cookies.
The second information/promotional session took place at the local high school, Ådalsskolan on 27th of May. We set up a so called “Magic Box”, were the youth could put notes with questions related to sex and relations. We also promoted our campaign by distributing leaflets and posters.
As mentioned before the main session took place during Stadsfesten in Kramfors. The tent featured a relaxed environment with beanbags and live music. The central focus of the tent was the activities which functioned to invite youths and adults for discussions around safer sex.
By executing this campaign the group is hoping to increase awareness of STIs and sexual health, to directly reduce risk behavior among the population by distributing contraceptives and to engage youths in fruitful discussions in order to problematize and analyze issues pertaining to sexuality and sexual health.
3. To facilitate the work we divided the responsibilities into three working groups; Promotions group, Sponsor group and Event group.
The main responsibility for the promotion group consisted of designing and printing posters, leaflets, t-shirts and other material needed for the activities in the tent.
The sponsors group seek funds from local companies, such as coffee, tea, cups, spoons cookies, sugar and t-shirts. Furthermore they also contacted the County Council in Väster Norrland, an NGO named Afrikagrupperna, and RFSU Umeå to get free condoms in order to carry out the project. Additionally they arranged for education sessions about different methods to distribute condoms and how to talk about safer sex. The workshops were held by RFSL Sundsvall and RFSU Umeå.
The Event group planed the activities and games that were used in the tent during Stadsfesten. They also promoted the campaign in the high school and put up posters around Kramfors.
Our group collaborated with NBV (Nykterhetsrörelsens Bildningsverksamhet). All our group activities related to the project were considered as a “study circle” and therefore we got funds from the organization.
Kramfors Municipality collaborated with us by letting us use their tent at Kramfors Stadsfest. The Kramfors Stadsfest organizer På Stan supported us in our activities. Kramfors Youth Health Centre supported us by giving us different kinds of information folders that were be distributed in our tent at the city festivities.
4. Expected and actual result.
The results from the groups project campaign matched our expected planned results fairly accurately in almost every area.
The initial project proposal listed the following expected outcomes:
- the distribution of as many condoms as possible
- to engage as many local people as possible to increase the awareness of issues pertaining to the campaign (safer sex, condom use, STIs)
- to create a fun and conducive atmosphere where above results could be achieved and a healthy, positive sexuality.
The campaign mainly took place in three different venues and times, as initially proposed, were activities and distributions of material took place: the town square, the local high school Ádalsskolan, and on two dates at Kramfors Stadsfest.
Roughly sex thousand condoms were gained from our generous sponsors RFSU/RFSL, Landstinget, and Africa Groups Sweden. These were subsequently distributed throughout the campaign which culminated at Kramfors Stadsfest on the 12th and 13th of June.
Throughout the campaign, and especially through the arrangement at Stadsfesten, the group managed to distribute information and material to a large number of people in our proposed target group and to be highly visible. Material distributed included educational leaflets on STIs, documents on sexual health and positive sexuality. Other less tangible but equally or more important activities included general discussions on sexuality, questions walks (tipspromenad), condom usage instructions and scenario discussions. These were all popular features throughout the project and were carried out to the groups satisfaction.
In connection to the campaign, promotional t-shirts and posters were printed and a tent and a space for it were acquired for Stadsfesten in order to host activities and distribution. A number of sponsors were also generous enough to supply us with material such as coffee, tea, cookies, cups, etc. for distribution to the public.
As a result, the group believes that the awareness of the relevant issues has been significantly improved in both direct and indirect ways as proposed.
5. The project will be handled over to the midwife at the youth health center who will help the youths with issues related to sex and make them understand themselves as boy and girl and what it means.
We also expect that it will live in the future if other organisations will work in line with activities dealing with youths in cases of sexually transmitted infections, youth sexuality and share information on safer sex.
Lastly, we hope that the youths themselves will come out in the open and ask questions that they cannot ask their parents by so doing they will create a rapport with the midwife and themselves.
6. Millennium Development Goals (MDG):
Trough implementation our group campaign project it achieved the millennium Development Goals number 6 which states that Combat HIV and AIDS, Malaria and other STIs. Because the component of health promotion (Condom Distribution/ Information Dissemination) involves motivation to adapt to promoting behavior and helping people make decision.
7.
Our project did very well, it exceeded our expectations.
We had almost 6500 condoms and we distributed almost every one of them and 130 persons participated in our question walk during our big day at Kramfors Stadsfest.
The people reacted very positive of our campaign and many people had heard about us.
We’re a little bit surprised that it was so difficult to get the youth attention in the age between 16-18 years old. The most of the youth were around the age of 12-13 years old.
Everyone in the Kramfors group did participate in the project planning very well. We divided us into different groups and every group had different tasks.
One thing that we have learned and that we’ll do different the next time is to have someone in charge of the money and write everything down.
Another thing is that our project planning meetings took long time and we’re not so structured at the last couple of meetings.
8.
To CIU and KYA, We thought that to implement the project is not easy, so it is better to prepare every thing before we start to do it. However, if we have already prepared we also have to think about the result of the project as long as you want it to be effective and sustainable. The most important point that every one wants to do the project is to be close in the group, everyone in group by trying to have fun together.
The project got fund from NBV, CIU and some materials from Hemkop, ICA, Coop, Colour of love, RFSU, RFSL, the total budget among 4700 Kr. And the project was spent 3174 kr. The project was finished successfully and it we got enough fund, if we did not got some fund from the other Organizations and stores the budget from CIU will not be enough.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Main works done in Kramfors!
I have done two small campaign with my team so as to promote our big campaign in the cityfest which will be celebrated on 12th and 13th of June. First of all, we did our activities on the 23rd of May in the city square becuase at that day it was the big promotion of car campany. They demonstrated thier newest cars to public. To take some advantage of tatha day we in our team decided to do our small campaign in order to do some activities. It was just our practise step to evalucate what we had done so far and tried to find any stradegy to come up with for the biggest campaign! Continue...!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Kramfors Safer Love!
According to the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (Svenska Smittskyddsinstitutet) Chlamydia, Syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases, are on the rise among young people under the age of thirty in Sweden. This trend is equally prevalent in Kramfors municipality and even though the statistics has shown some improvements in the last two years, the problem remains. In order to combat this problem among youths, a change in risk behavior and attitudes towards sex is required. The Kramfors group is of the opinion that discussions, information and distribution of contraceptives will effectively contribute to positive change.
The Kramfors YPD-group's main focus will for the project lie in targeting youth, sexually transmitted diseases and sexual health throughout a one-month campaign. The project will be implemented on two complementary levels and in two different venues. The group will distribute condoms and information through leaflets and discussions, and also engage youths in games and activities centered around sexual health and behavior. However, it has been a vision for the group to not only focus on the negative aspects of sexual behavior, but also to promote a fun and healthy sexuality. The main venue and time for this will be during Stadsfesten in Kramfors on June 12th and 13th where a space and tent will be reserved for the YPD-group to host activities, invite youths and adults for discussions. The tent will feature relaxed environment with couches, music and also host participants from the group. Stadsfesten has been chosen as a forum for activities because of its central location, the opportunity to reach out to youths, and the massive flow of visitors from Kramfors and neighboring areas. Stadsfesten normally hosts approximately seven thousand paying visitors during the 12th and 13th of June.
The campaign will act to involve the community in two main ways - directly and indirectly. More directly a large number of condoms will be attempted to be distributed, together with information pamphlets on sexual health. Indirectly the group will attempt to contribute to affecting attitudes on sexuality and risk behavior. This will be done through discussions, games/activities, posters and so on. The group will also receive assistance with material (condoms, leaflets) and education from Landstinget and RFSL.
In addition to the activities and tent at Stadsfesten the Kramfors group will hold two information/promotional sessions - one in the town square of Kramfors, and one in the local high school, Ådalsskolan - in collaboration with local event organization På stan. These will also feature condom distribution, free give-away in the form of stickers and badges, informational booklets and promotional posters.
By executing this campaign the group is hoping to increase awareness of STIs and sexual health, to directly reduce risk behavior among the population by distributing contraceptives and to engage youths in fruitful discussions in order to problematize and analyze issues pertaining to sexuality and sexual health.
The Kramfors YPD-group's main focus will for the project lie in targeting youth, sexually transmitted diseases and sexual health throughout a one-month campaign. The project will be implemented on two complementary levels and in two different venues. The group will distribute condoms and information through leaflets and discussions, and also engage youths in games and activities centered around sexual health and behavior. However, it has been a vision for the group to not only focus on the negative aspects of sexual behavior, but also to promote a fun and healthy sexuality. The main venue and time for this will be during Stadsfesten in Kramfors on June 12th and 13th where a space and tent will be reserved for the YPD-group to host activities, invite youths and adults for discussions. The tent will feature relaxed environment with couches, music and also host participants from the group. Stadsfesten has been chosen as a forum for activities because of its central location, the opportunity to reach out to youths, and the massive flow of visitors from Kramfors and neighboring areas. Stadsfesten normally hosts approximately seven thousand paying visitors during the 12th and 13th of June.
The campaign will act to involve the community in two main ways - directly and indirectly. More directly a large number of condoms will be attempted to be distributed, together with information pamphlets on sexual health. Indirectly the group will attempt to contribute to affecting attitudes on sexuality and risk behavior. This will be done through discussions, games/activities, posters and so on. The group will also receive assistance with material (condoms, leaflets) and education from Landstinget and RFSL.
In addition to the activities and tent at Stadsfesten the Kramfors group will hold two information/promotional sessions - one in the town square of Kramfors, and one in the local high school, Ådalsskolan - in collaboration with local event organization På stan. These will also feature condom distribution, free give-away in the form of stickers and badges, informational booklets and promotional posters.
By executing this campaign the group is hoping to increase awareness of STIs and sexual health, to directly reduce risk behavior among the population by distributing contraceptives and to engage youths in fruitful discussions in order to problematize and analyze issues pertaining to sexuality and sexual health.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Project Decision Making!
To work within the team is not easy to make decision about what we gonna do or implement. Like that, my team there are 12 members with different backgrounds and nationalities, namely there are 6 Swedish, 4 Cambodian and 2 Zambian. Sometimes, we come up with various good concepts and take those as the topics so as to try to figure out the best reason with more prove.
At first every thing gone well because we just came up with the general contexts or concepts about what we gonna apply regarding to the general context somehow. But when the day is coming closer and closer for final decision making to our project. I do understand it is absolutely hard to so within the team. We have to take time and take it easy, no more pressure amongst each other or think it gonna be serious. We just done it more relaxed and enjoyable by providing each other more time to think and distribute their own ideas, especially we have to coffee break at some point between the meeting then. More.......
At first every thing gone well because we just came up with the general contexts or concepts about what we gonna apply regarding to the general context somehow. But when the day is coming closer and closer for final decision making to our project. I do understand it is absolutely hard to so within the team. We have to take time and take it easy, no more pressure amongst each other or think it gonna be serious. We just done it more relaxed and enjoyable by providing each other more time to think and distribute their own ideas, especially we have to coffee break at some point between the meeting then. More.......
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Valborg fest in Kramfors, Sweden
I was so proud of Swedish people to do such ceremony to welcoming spring from place to place in whole of Sweden. I was so curious at the time when my counterpart mentioned about the valborg fest ( fire fest). Yet when I saw the whole ceremony had done was not what I expected to see somewhat. In that fest they had just done few activities such as sing the typical Swedish songs in the chaos and then they started to burn the big pile of wood and took care of it until they had burnt all.
WORK PLACE
My voluntary work placement is at IKF, which is an international women organization in Kramfors, which working closely with Immigrant youth from few countries, namely Afkanistan, Somaly, Iraq, Iran, Molgulia and so on. Because of the economical crisis the major project was adjourned for a while. Moreover, they have to some activities for raising some budget for employing the venue to prolong the office place.
Luckily, NBV which is an organization working closely with the immigrant youth in Kramfors as well. Its purpose is to intergrate immigrant youth with the Swedish youth at some point in the Swedish society. Furthermore, we can work in that place via Vivi-Anne IKF boss introduced me and my partner to Gunilla, NBV boss. Then after we can work there together with the girls to do one project, called Study Circle. It is the project which focuses mostly on the funny activities for the immigrant youth and the Swedish youth so as to create and enjoy with.
STUDY CIRCLE STARTS
On Tuseday 5th of May 2009, our group have conducted the first study cirle with the immigrant youth form Fenix. To be noticed, we are working with both Terro Nova (the immigrant place for the immigrant youth who hold the residence permit to live in Sweden legally) and Fenix ( the immigrantion place for immigrant youth who are in the process of Asylum Seeking so as to get the residence permit in their hand).
About our first study circle it was very fun because there were four girls went to join and made some stuffs all together with us. We thought that it was our first sucess to start with through our abservation, all the girls tended to like our place and any activity. They seemed to be like cooking because they raised some ideas related to cooking Khmer food. They are all very prefer this idea. But today we have not arranged any meat or vegetable to cook. Hence, we chose how to do some jewlleries with bead and string to make some necklects. Everyone did very well with that we were so happy to see them and learnt to do those things either.
WORK PLACE
My voluntary work placement is at IKF, which is an international women organization in Kramfors, which working closely with Immigrant youth from few countries, namely Afkanistan, Somaly, Iraq, Iran, Molgulia and so on. Because of the economical crisis the major project was adjourned for a while. Moreover, they have to some activities for raising some budget for employing the venue to prolong the office place.
Luckily, NBV which is an organization working closely with the immigrant youth in Kramfors as well. Its purpose is to intergrate immigrant youth with the Swedish youth at some point in the Swedish society. Furthermore, we can work in that place via Vivi-Anne IKF boss introduced me and my partner to Gunilla, NBV boss. Then after we can work there together with the girls to do one project, called Study Circle. It is the project which focuses mostly on the funny activities for the immigrant youth and the Swedish youth so as to create and enjoy with.
STUDY CIRCLE STARTS
On Tuseday 5th of May 2009, our group have conducted the first study cirle with the immigrant youth form Fenix. To be noticed, we are working with both Terro Nova (the immigrant place for the immigrant youth who hold the residence permit to live in Sweden legally) and Fenix ( the immigrantion place for immigrant youth who are in the process of Asylum Seeking so as to get the residence permit in their hand).
About our first study circle it was very fun because there were four girls went to join and made some stuffs all together with us. We thought that it was our first sucess to start with through our abservation, all the girls tended to like our place and any activity. They seemed to be like cooking because they raised some ideas related to cooking Khmer food. They are all very prefer this idea. But today we have not arranged any meat or vegetable to cook. Hence, we chose how to do some jewlleries with bead and string to make some necklects. Everyone did very well with that we were so happy to see them and learnt to do those things either.
Monday, May 4, 2009
One Month Gone!
I am very pleased to share some experience staying and working as volunteer in Kramfors, which is quiet small town and no more people know where it is when I and Evelina asked all of them in Stockholm and even her home town in Gavle. It was very amazing to see and enjoy the life in here because every thing is absolutely new for me even if working or / and staying with the Swedish people. I mean that every thing is quiet nice to know and learn all the unknow things if comparing to Cambodia.
In the free time, I usually have some fun activity which conducted by my counterpart or within in YPD group to have pinic in the resort places. They are very well- prepared any way in setting something up for fun so as to build our team tighly relationship amongst each other. I think it is the best way to start in order to wor together with our own project. Why? whenever more closely relationship come up verything is going to run smothly via any contribution and happy in doing that at somehow.
Traditional fest which is conducted for welcoming spring in Sweden, people they normally celebrate very year depending to their calender. To me, I was so luckly becuase I joined that fest with ally of our YPD participants on Thursday 29th of April, 2009 this year. It was quiet fun to listen to ederly people in choas sang the typical song describing about the traditional fest (firefest) I did not recognize tha word in Swedish called. Then when they finished their singing they started to burn the big pile of wood and watched unitl it already gone.
In the free time, I usually have some fun activity which conducted by my counterpart or within in YPD group to have pinic in the resort places. They are very well- prepared any way in setting something up for fun so as to build our team tighly relationship amongst each other. I think it is the best way to start in order to wor together with our own project. Why? whenever more closely relationship come up verything is going to run smothly via any contribution and happy in doing that at somehow.
Traditional fest which is conducted for welcoming spring in Sweden, people they normally celebrate very year depending to their calender. To me, I was so luckly becuase I joined that fest with ally of our YPD participants on Thursday 29th of April, 2009 this year. It was quiet fun to listen to ederly people in choas sang the typical song describing about the traditional fest (firefest) I did not recognize tha word in Swedish called. Then when they finished their singing they started to burn the big pile of wood and watched unitl it already gone.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
