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What's Happening
  The
Multimedia Sara Initative, launched in eastern and southern Africa
in 1996, helps young women make the transition into adulthood. Sara
is an animated cartoon character, around 14 years old, who makes important
life decisions ,such as whether to stay in school or how to deal with
difficult adults. The episodes generate discussions on key issues affecting
adolescent girls, including HIV/AIDS, the unequal workloads of boys
and girls, teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse and early marriage. They
also demonstrate essential life skills, including effective communication,negotiation
and problem solving. An animated film series is the flagship of the
Sara Initiative, complemented by radio programmes, comic books, story
books,audio cassettes, posers and guides.
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Voices of Youth
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This UNICEF Web project links young people from diverse
social classes and economic backgrounds from all corners
of the globe. Working closely with UNICEF field offices
and an extensive network of NGO's worldwide, Voices of Youth
enables an exchange of ideas globally.
There
are three frameworks for learning and dialogue in Voices
of Youth - The meeting Place, The Learning Place and the
Teachers Place - where youth can log on and learn about
children who work, discrimination against girls, children
affected by war and the risks children encounter in some
of the world's largest and fastest growing cities.
Through
the site's interactive quizzes, they can test their knowledge
about HIV/AIDS.
Young people can participate in youth-to-youth and youth-to-policy
maker dialogues through 12 web discussion forums and regular
Internet chats.
Since
it began in 1995, the web project has recorded more than
26,000 messages from young people in more than 110 counties
and more than 200 messages from world leaders. The messages
are used to engage and inform world leaders on the rights
and needs of young people.
The
site is at http://www.unicef.org/voy/
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Evaluations of the project demonstrate how girls
are using their new skills. For example, when girl's parents were unable
to pay their school fees, the girls negotiated with other members of
their extended families to obtain the fees. Sara has also encouraged
girls to use assertiveness and negotation skills to avoid female genital
mutilation and sexual abuse, as well as to resist pressure from their
peers.
In
a city-wide playwriting competition in Romania, Bucharest high school
students wrote about HIV/AIDS to educate their peers. The scripts depicted
real-life situations that demonstrate good and not so good decision-making
regarding safe sex, along with the the consequences. Two plays were
selected by judges to be preformed in English and in Romanian at local
hgh schools and at the Bucharest Theatre Festival. The plays were not
only performed by high school students but they were also directed ,produced,
designed and promoted by the young people. The peer education drama
pilot project, run by the NGO ARAS, is being held this year as well,
and it is expected to become an annual event in cities throughout the
country.
In
South Africa,'love life' uses television and radio to give teenagers
an opportunity to talk about what many consider to be taboo subjects,
such as adolescent sexuality. A survey of 1,000 people revealed that
63% felt that 'love life' was very effective, and 86% felt that open
and frank communication is "very important" in preventing
HIV/AIDS,teenage pregnancy and STI's.
Regional Trends 
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