Work with young people — education, including sex education

13 Dec

Work with young people

The education of the generation coming to adulthood is a very important and multisided task. Along with various sociological, psychological, and moral aspects, a big part here is played by sex education, which in no circumstances should be neglected. It is important to educate a girl like a real woman, and a boy like a true and honest man. The success of this task depends on too many things to ignore them: the health of people and their personal and family happiness, the education of future generations, and mutual understanding between them.

Sometimes it can be difficult for parents and teachers to overcome the barriers which often stand in the way of talking to young people on “sensitive” topics. It is much easier and less problematic when conversation on the topic of sex education is carried out among acknowledged experts.

The specialist members of our association have higher pedagogical and medical education. This has allowed us to establish a Youth Project as part of the work of our association. The aim of this project is to teach the importance for young people of preserving chastity and purity before marriage. Along with this, we talk about keeping away from drug-taking and smoking, and abstinence (at their age) from alcohol. We do this by working with social educators and by delivering presentations for students of 9th-11th grades of high school and college. By means of readily-understood presentations, we explain the importance of chastity for the health and future of the family. The young people are interested in and actively participate in interactive games and discussions on the topic of abstinence and a healthy lifestyle.

Our Youth Project started in 2010. Up to now, we have given presentations and discussions for 1,340 students at 26 schools in Karakol City, and also in other parts of the Issyk-Kul province and in Bishkek.

Every year we are visited by a very good expert in sex education, Mark Bhagwandin, who comes from England and works for a United Kingdom and international charity organization called “Life”. Mark also gives presentations on the topic of abstinence before marriage and the self-esteem of young people, showing how as a result of low self-esteem, young people often become engaged in sexual promiscuity. The way he delivers information is so friendly and easy to understand that our school students just love him.

We are very ready to work with the schools and their teachers, and we hope that in the future our mutual co-operation will only strengthen.