YouthChhlat for Reproductive Health and Rights

Youthchhlat orientation.

Youthchhlat orientation.

Campaign Description:

Youthchhlat aims to encourage youth to talk more openly and engage in sensitive topics such as sexual, gender, and reproductive health and rights issues. The project heavily uses SMS as part of its Question and Answer platform to respond to questions about sexuality and reproductive health and rights from Cambodian youth, the nation’s largest population. However, as subscribers are on many different mobile network services, delivering those SMS content to them was a challenge. To overcome the delivery and dispatch of messages, OneWorld’sYouth Chhlat (Smart Youth) uses InSTEDD’s Nuntium to respond to questions from young Cambodians.

Campaign Objectives:

The goal of the project is to harness the potential of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools to increase young people’s access to information about sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The project also promotes positive changes in their knowledge with regards to gender issues, as well as attitudes and behaviours that will ultimately spur a reduction in gender-based violence and improve reproductive health outcomes for young people in Cambodia. By enabling youth to access information on SRHR and promoting positive alternatives to social norms that sanction violence against women and girls, the project seeks to respond to several important challenges that adolescents and young people in Cambodia face today by using innovative technologies to open a “safe space” for learning and participation.

Campaign target audience:

Youth (15-30 years old)

Tools used during the campaign:

  • Website
  • SMS
  • IVR
  • Facebook
  • E-mail
  • InSTEDD’s Nuntium (Nuntium is a set of services and clients that allows anyone to build SMS-based applications with uses that range from simple modem-based needs to countrywide deployments integrated with wireless operators.)

Campaign Activities (Online)

  • E-learning
  • Q&A via web
  • Facebook
  • SMS
  • Voice Message
  • Hotline

Campaign Activities (Offline)

  • eLearning platform implemented in 24 public high schools in 8 provinces and Phnom Penh.
  • eLearning implementation with school youth and garment workers in Phnom Penh.
  • Mobile Q&A platform implemented across Cambodia.

Campaign Outcomes

The eLearning platform is being implemented by teachers in Cambodia's public school system. The national “Life Skills” curriculum has been adapted into a series of ‘info-cartoons’ and interactive exercises. The question-and-answer platform makes use of SMS (both in English and Khmer) texting, email, and Facebook. Radio spots have also been used to reach out to young people in and out of schools. A mobile and online question-and-answer (Q&A) service was created and questions could also be submitted via email or Facebook’s private messaging system.

What were the main successes of this campaign?

The pilot program was rolled-out in 2014 across 24 schools in eight provinces as well as in Phnom Penh. The first year of the program, which has reached almost 10,000 Cambodians in and outside of schools and has seen nearly 20,000 questions submitted. The project has brought about the integrating ICT tools into the educational sphere and also to promote more access to information on sexual, gender and reproductive health issues.

What were the main failures, if any, of this campaign?

It shall be noted as the challenge rather than the failure itself was the fact that the project's life was a bit short. It was just 2 years and 5 months, which included the development, testing and implementation. More time and resource could allow the project to monitor and improve its infrastructure, as well as to scale up the work and project's impact.

Organisations involved:

OneWorld UK in cooperation with Butterfly Works, School Health Department of Ministry of Education Youth and Sport, the Reproductive Health Association Cambodia (RHAC), People Health Development (PHD), Child Helpline Cambodia (CHC), and INTHANOU Association

Campaign on Social Media

*This documentation would not be possible without the support from OneWorld UK team members, especially Ms. Sanary Kaing, then local Project Officer, who is willing to offer an in-dept insight to the campaign experience. Information and photo are courtesy to OneWorld UK.

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