In Madagascar, supporting young people to better manage their lives

Mampionona Mikaia, 19, has just given birth to her first child, Martino. She lives in the commune of Ampasy Nampoina, seven kilometers from the city of Fort-Dauphin in southern Madagascar. Mikaia had to drop out of school at the age of 16 because her mother could no longer afford to send her. The eldest of three children, Mikaia loved school. “I was really sad when I had to stop. After that, my days became monotonous. I would wake up in the morning to prepare the meal, then I’d help my mother to make handicrafts and so on,” she recounts.

Faraly, her mother, is a community health worker in the village of Ambalambendrana. She supplements her income by selling the crafts she makes at home, but she still struggles to meet the family’s needs. In her role as a community health worker, Faraly educates young people about sexual health. She knew Mikaia was sexually active, but was surprised when her daughter told her she was pregnant in 2019. “The fact that my own daughter got pregnant at the age of 18 was a setback for me. However, I haven’t given up and I continue to sensitize the adolescents in the village about how to take care of their sexual health," says Faraly.

Support from the health center

According to Razafimamonjy Patrick, who runs the local health center, attendance by young people has significantly improved thanks to the efforts of community health workers like Faraly. More than a third of the visits to the center are by young people aged between 10 and 19. In addition, 14% of regular family planning users are young people. People in this age group automatically benefit from free care at the health center. This youth-friendly health center also has a recreation room where health workers show videos to raise awareness. This is all made possible by a UNICEF program funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) which aims to improve the lives of adolescents, especially girls, in this region.

"I’m very happy with the care I’ve received at the health center. I have learned a lot about life over the past nine months,” says Mikaia. “I still hope I will be able to return to school, but for now I will take care of my son Martino and help my mother to educate other young people not to get pregnant too young.”