DSW's Training Centres
For peer education programmes to be effective, continuous training forpeer educators is essential -- this includes follow-up training sessionsthat reinforce knowledge, attitudes and skills. This holds especiallytrue for the Youth-to-Youth Initiative (Y2Y), which requires specialisedtraining for young people and youth serving organisations to design andimplement high-quality sustainable projects and programmes foradolescent sexual and reproductive health.
Consequently, the Y2Y country programmes are complemented by the courses and activities of three DSW Training Centres in Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania which aim to intensify, streamline and establish programmequality control. Besides playing a key role for the Y2Y programme, theTraining Centres are central to building the capacity of a wide range ofother aid organisations in the field of adolescent sexual andreproductive health in East Africa.
DSW Bonita Training Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health
The DSW Bonita Training Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health was opened in May 26th 2001. Established with support from BONITA Gefuehl fuer Mode GmbH&Co.KG, the Training Centre aims at strengthening the capacity of both regional and national organisations in designing and implementing high-quality sustainable projects and programmes in adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
As a health development partner recognised by the Uganda Ministry of Health, the Centre currently focuses on ensuring that young people, as well as other service providers get empowered with knowledge, especially in the area of sexual health and practical life skills. The Centre is actively involved in building human capabilities in health through training as one of the crucial element of DSWs activities in Eastern Africa where both grassroots as well as national project initiatives are implemented.
The Training Centre plays a key role in Youth-to-Youth (Y2Y) training, a unique component of DSW’s integrated Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights programme; fusing peer-to-peer learning, youth leadership skills, community work, income generation activities, and the creation of a supportive environment for young people through dialogue with parents, teachers, medical personnel and community leaders.
The Centre also plays an active role in building local capacities by training local organisations in areas like resource mobilisation and advocacy and strategically ensuring that the limited advocacy capacity to reach the grassroots is complimented effectively and efficiently by these trained organisations. In addition, the Training Centre also offer tailor made courses that suit the needs of particular organisations or institutions upon request.
A training and retreat venue
In recognition of its considerable expertise, the Training Centre has repeatedly been contracted by other organisations to carry out training courses for their service providers. Moreover, the Training Centre has increasingly become a hub for other organisations to conduct workshops, seminars, meetings and conferences. To date, the Training Centre has provided trainings for more than 5,000 young people and adults from various organisations and countries, even beyond East Africa. These include Ethiopia, Eritrea, Germany, Kenya, Netherlands, Rwanda, Somaliland, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
