A Healthy Me
‘A Healthy Me’ is a holistic health and wellbeing program providing comprehensive SRH education to Filipina adolescents as well as training to health educators and parents. The program uses participatory and progressive educational methodology employing a range of individual and group learning activities, with each session being guided by a unique ‘learning journal’.
Refuge shelters
Health centers
Workplaces
Schools
Parents
Residential aftercare facilities
Girls who have experienced trauma and abuse are at high risk of poor life and health outcomes. When the girls return to their families and communities, they need the confidence and skills to avoid potentially harmful situations and to make positive health choices. The time spent in the shelters presents an important opportunity to impart these skills.
Health centers
A Healthy Me’ is also implemented by government health workers in disadvantaged communities with support from the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) and municipal health offices. In addition to gaining knowledge and skills, participants also build trusting relationships with the health staff. Having a healthy, caring adult relationship can make a huge difference in the life of an adolescent. These relationships also create greater confidence to access health services in the future.
Workplaces
To be successful in the workplace, an employee must be able to effectively manage their physical and mental health. Employees from disadvantaged backgrounds may lack these skills. Hence a version of the curriculum was created to teach self-care skills for the workplace.
Schools
Implementing ‘A Healthy Me’ in schools allows many more girls to participate in the program. In this model, teachers facilitate most of the topics, such as communication and planning skills, emotional self-care, body image, and healthy relationships. However, specific sexual and reproduction health topics are taught by health professionals in the local community health center, including about the menstrual cycle and family planning. Visiting the health center for these sessions also increases the participants’ confidence to visit the health center in the future.
Parents
Filipino parents often struggle to communicate openly and factually about sexual and reproductive health issues. This leaves children more vulnerable to poor outcomes, including teenage pregnancy and sexual abuse and exploitation. To help address this, ‘A Healthy Me’ includes a two-hour educational session for parents of adolescent girls. The aim of the session is to enhance the parents’ knowledge about sexuality and reproductive health and to improve their relationships and communication with their children.
Residential aftercare facilities
Girls who have experienced trauma and abuse are at high risk of poor life and health outcomes. When the girls return to their families and communities, they need the confidence and skills to avoid potentially harmful situations and to make positive health choices. The time spent in the shelters presents an important opportunity to impart these skills.
Health centers
A Healthy Me’ is also implemented by government health workers in disadvantaged communities with support from the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) and municipal health offices. In addition to gaining knowledge and skills, participants also build trusting relationships with the health staff. Having a healthy, caring adult relationship can make a huge difference in the life of an adolescent. These relationships also create greater confidence to access health services in the future.
Workplaces
To be successful in the workplace, an employee must be able to effectively manage their physical and mental health. Employees from disadvantaged backgrounds may lack these skills. Hence a version of the curriculum was created to teach self-care skills for the workplace.
Schools
Implementing ‘A Healthy Me’ in schools allows many more girls to participate in the program. In this model, teachers facilitate most of the topics, such as communication and planning skills, emotional self-care, body image, and healthy relationships. However, specific sexual and reproduction health topics are taught by health professionals in the local community health center, including about the menstrual cycle and family planning. Visiting the health center for these sessions also increases the participants’ confidence to visit the health center in the future.
Parents
Filipino parents often struggle to communicate openly and factually about sexual and reproductive health issues. This leaves children more vulnerable to poor outcomes, including teenage pregnancy and sexual abuse and exploitation. To help address this, ‘A Healthy Me’ includes a two-hour educational session for parents of adolescent girls. The aim of the session is to enhance the parents’ knowledge about sexuality and reproductive health and to improve their relationships and communication with their children.