-Vientiane Capital, 9/11/2020. UNFPA and Lao Youth Union organized a three days capacity building workshop and outreach activities for 20 youth volunteers under Me, My Body, My Planet, My Future campaign. The training aimed to make young people familiar with the International Conference on Population and Development commitments, focusing on gender, education and social protection and also endow them with the skills to engage with their peers.

Young people took part of interactive sessions on their role for the campaign. They discussed the progress, challenges and ways forward. Lao Youth Union which is maintaining a telephone hotline for counseling took opportunity of this workshop to present lessons learnt and to train the volunteers on how to provide care and support through the helpline for sexual and reproductive health. 

Me, My Body, My Planet, My Future campaign is part of UNFPA's global strategy for adolescents and youth. It puts young people—their talents, hopes, perspectives and unique needs—at the very centre of sustainable development. In doing so, it supports the achievement of their full potential to build a future generation that will benefit well its demographic dividend. Young people realizing their rights to make informed choices about their own bodies, their own lives and the world they live in is a matter of justice and a driver of a lifetime of returns.

The young volunteers learnt also about Noi through the Noi Framework and Noi Ecosystem & Nang-Noi Girls Groups to better participate in advancing adolescent girls rights and combating harmful practices. Boys were sensitized on their important role as young men to support the rights of women and girls and spread positive examples of change. 

The workshop was also an opportunity to boost leadership capacities for youth through communication, facilitation and presentation skills, events/campaign organizing including social media and face to face approaches. To complete their training, youth went on school visit to put in practice their presentation skills and they also got to know more about the UN work, particularly UN Volunteering programs in Lao PDR. 

“It is our responsibilities as duty bearers to provide adolescents and young people with relevant and useful information, especially sexual reproductive health and how to take a good care of their health and environment in the community where they live. When they are equipped with these knowledge and skills they will be grown up with quality”. Said by Vice Principal, Nonsaad, Secondary School

“I feel very happy and lucky to get this opportunity where I have learned, shared and practice with peers at school during the course and I really encourage others to join me as volunteer”

Said by a volunteer trainee, from Lao-Viet Friendship Secondary School.

For more information please contact:

Miss Phetmany Viyadeth,
National Communication Consultant UNFPA Lao PDR

Email: viyadeth@unfpa.org

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UNFPA, the UN's sexual and reproductive health agency, works in over 150 countries including Lao PDR, to achieve zero maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning and zero gender-based