WE CHOOSE LIFE
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: WE CHOOSE LIFE.
OROL is a nonprofit youth led-initiative that empowers young people on sexual and reproductive health issues and HIV and AIDS.
About You
About You
First Name
Falilu
Last Name
Agbaje
Twitter URL
Facebook URL
About Your Organization
Organization Name
OROL Youth Empowerment Initiative
Organization Website
Organization Country
Nigeria, LA
Country where this project is creating social impact
Nigeria, LA
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
The organization not yet received award by has gained media recognition
References - Please provide two references with a two-sentence biography, email address, and phone number for each
(1)Mr Olive Anene is the coordinator of Initiative for Improved Male health here in Nigeria. Email: oanene@maleattitudenetwork.com
Phone: +2348056692296
(2) Mr Charles Omofomwam is the coordinator for Noble Mission for Initiative change.
Email: charlesmentor@gmail.com
Phone: +2348063801339
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Innovation
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Established (past the previous stages and has demonstrated success)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Following nearly two and half decades of the emergence of the HIV/AIDS as a significant public health challenge in Nigeria, HIV has spread to become a generalized and matured epidemic affecting all population groups and geographic areas of the country especially among young people such as orphans, homeless and handicaps. Research has shown it that orphans and other underprivileged young people such as homeless, disabled and young people in and out of schools are vulnerable to HIV infections and other sexual infections because of their unmet needs and the vulnerabilities to HIV of persons with disabilities constitute approximately 15.6% (11.8-18.0%) of the world’s population. They are at the center of HIV/AIDS epidemic; because of lack of care, support, information and empowerment.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
(1) To implement effective educational interventions targeted at young people age 11-19 that can prevent the spread of HIV /AIDS in Six schools Ifelodun/Ajeromi Local Government Area of Lagos and 1 school awareness days at each of the secondary schools reaching at least 500 students in total
(2)To plant HIV and AIDS awareness sign stones and plates in all the targeted Secondary Schools compounds and classrooms.
(3)To organize series community campaigns on HIV and AIDS prioritizing young people reaching out to at least 300 young people out of schools.
(4)To train 5 groups of young people of 5 members each from the targeted Schools of Ifelodun/Ajeromi Local Government Area on HIV/AIDS awareness raising strategies on prevention and care
(5) To establish a psychosocial care and support program for orphans and vulnerable children(OVC) reach out to at least 200 orphans
(6)Monitoring & Evaluation process implemented throughout the project
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
The project here is designed for young people in and out of higher secondary schools, orphans and homeless children and handicaps age group 10-19. The project offers a sustainable solution for continued reduction in HIV/AIDS infections. It offers them correct, clear, consistent and culturally appropriate information about HIV/AIDS, psychosocial support. Activities and services packaged include project promotion and advocacy, awareness building, training, monitoring, and other measures supporting informed participation of Project beneficiaries, communities, and stakeholders .It also help them to build self esteem, worth and awareness.
To date, the services offered to vulnerable children and young people by non- governmental and community-based organizations have not been creatively implemented. One of the main strategies adopted by OROL has been the building of the capacity of its members on these issues through training and membership-lever forum. These members will act as catalysts in the empowerment of the wider community. Other strategies are social and resource mobilization, partnership with other actors involved including the community members to enhance our work. We also use songs, drama, role-play and participatory learning to empower the target populations. After a successful first year of operating the empowerment program reaching out to over 700 young people, we are looking to sustain and expand the program further for another one year because the effectiveness of the program depends on the sustainability of the program.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
WE CHOOSE LIFE target market are young people, communities, families and vulnerable children such as orphans, homeless and young people age 10-19 who are going through stress and problems such as poverty, discrimination, unstable homes, and academic life and other young people vulnerable to HIV and AIDS, are the primary marketing focus of WE CHOOSE LIFE.
Competitor are other Non governmental organizations, civil society organizations and community based organizations and we are different from them because we are young people and our innovation is effective because we use creative means such as song, drama and role play to empower out target groups and the mains challenges they pose to our success is that they have access to more donors and they have been existing for many years
This Entry is about (Issues)
Social Impact
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
It all started when i visited a refugee camp ( ORU refugee camp Ogun state Nigeria) in 2008 to conduct a research work on sexual behavior and HIV prevention among adolescent refugees and during my stay in the camp i conducted in-depth interview, focus group discussions and made use of questionnaires to test their sexual behavior and vulnerability to HIV and AIDS, it was realized that they are highly vulnerable to HIV because of lack of knowledge about prevention and also due to their status as displaced people. I wrote a report with a friend kehinde okanlawon about this issue and possible solution and it was published by Forced Migration Review issue 32 and that was where the idea of leading the change to empower and move vulnerable people forward
I also got motivated in 2010 when returned from youth sexuality institute organized and sponsored by International Planned parenthood federation in Addis because i had the opportunity of meeting other youth leaders from other countries.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
To be viewed as a major youth led initiative that provides young people with information and education on leadership skills and empowerment on issues such as sexual and reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, Decision- Making power and self-esteem.
We are working towards a society where young people engage in behaviors that reduce pregnancy or HIV transmission such as abstaining, delaying or decreasing frequency of sex and they will also be able to make informed choices and the goal of this project is to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Infections on the young people
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Our project is very innovative and unique because we use participatory learning, drama, role plays and songs.We have recently reached out to at least 700 young people in and out of four secondary schools Lagos Nigeria, 200 orphans, trained 4 groups of peer educators and tested 350 people of HIV and AIDS in Abuja Nigeria. An Impact Evaluation was conducted at the end of each program and quarterly assessing the main benefits of the program, the main draw backs, whether the goals were achievable and realistic, if the HIV/AIDS prevention strategy was successful and this was done through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews.
The results shows that the vulnerable young people are already engaging themselves in behaviors that reduce pregnancy or HIV transmission such as abstaining or delaying sex, decreasing frequency of sex, increasing the time gap between sexual partners, using condoms consistently and correctly during sex, and being tested and treated for HIV and STDS
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
If activities for young people are done through creative means such as using songs, drama and participatory learning, they tend to learn faster and yield better results and we will reach out to at least 6500 youths at the end the project will mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS among them
It is expected that they will engage in behaviors that reduce pregnancy or HIV transmission such as abstaining, delaying or decreasing frequency of sex and they will also be able to make informed choices. So with our creative interventions Young people will be more informed about the causes of HIV/AIDS AIDS to address the lack of knowledge and stigmatizing myths of how HIV/AIDS is transmitted and also increased in the number of community involvement
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
At the end of the project period we will have reached out to at least 800 young people in and out of schools and 200 orphans
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your six-month milestone
Task 1
Capacity building: Building of the capacity of our members of staff on these issues through training and membership-lever forum.
Task 2
Establishment of an HIV Education intervention targeting male and female youth age 10-19 at four secondary schools
Task 3
To establish a psychosocial care and support program for at least 200 orphans and vulnerable children ( OVC)
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
To scale up and adapt HIV prevention efforts towards universal access targets, with a focus on young people out of schools
Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your 12-month milestone
Task 1
To organize series community campaigns on HIV and AIDS prioritizing young people reaching out to at least 400 young people
Task 2
Over 400 young people will be counselled and tested of HIV through various project partners
Task 3
A monitoring and Evaluation process will be implemented throughout the program to access the perfomance and set backs
Sustainability
Tell us about your partnerships
The Federal Ministry of Health (HIV/AIDS Division) has also confirmed to assist us materially and technically for our recent and future programmes. We are in partnership with Improved Male health Initiative,Noble Mission for Initiative change and others.working closely with Federal Ministry of health (Nigeria). We also trying to establish a relationship with Non -governmental organizations such as Association for Reproductive and family Health (ARFH).Gede foundation, Friends in Global Health and others in Nigeria
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?
Yes we also trying to reach out to other youths in rural areas and urban most especially the sexual minorities and sex worker mainly because of their vulnerability to HIV and AIDS
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
The organization is been directed and managed by Opeyemi Falilu Agbaje ( Founder), an advocate, a demographer and a social worker with 7 years experience in sexual and reproductive health works and Folayan A. Oyedeji an experienced project manager and other experienced young people
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
 | 16 weeks agoOpeyemi F Agbaje updated this Competition Entry. |
| 16 weeks agoOpeyemi F Agbaje updated this Competition Entry. |
| 17 weeks agoOpeyemi F Agbaje updated this Competition Entry. |
| 17 weeks agoOpeyemi F Agbaje updated this Competition Entry. |
| 17 weeks agoOpeyemi F Agbaje updated this Competition Entry. |
| 17 weeks agoOpeyemi F Agbaje submitted this idea. |
