Details
HealthBridge Vietnam, together with the Son La Province Centre for Disease Control (CDC), organized a two-day capacity building workshop for 32 community health workers from six communes in Son La Province. These community health workers included a representative from the women's union, youth union, communication officers and healthcare workers from the communes of Tong Co, Chieng Bom, Chieng Le, Chieng Den, Chieng Sinh and Chieng Ngan in the Northwest region of Vietnam.
The workshop covered topics related to safe and consensual sex, contraception methods, sexually transmitted infections, gender equality, pregnancy, and proper use and disposal of contraceptives. The trainers used interactive and engaging activities to ensure increased engagement of participants.
The major approach of the workshop was to build communication skills and encourage the use of effective communication materials during community meetings. The workshop provided an opportunity for the trainees to practice methods of communication that can encourage behaviour change on reproductive health and adolescent sexual health for youth in their community. They also received support to develop a communication plan for reproductive health in their respective communities.
The workshop facilitator, Dr. Do Viet Dung, incorporated interactive teaching methods such as team-building activities and role playing. The workshop also used innovative technological tools for learning, such as Kahoot, a game-based online learning platform.
Participants were provided with infographics, flipcharts, demonstration items, and a guidebook on the Sexual and Reproductive Health topics covered during the workshop. These education materials were distributed to schools and community educators to be used in upcoming education sessions and village meetings.
Ms. Doan Thanh Phuc, Deputy Director of the Son La Province Center for Disease Control, who was present at the training said:
“In the communes and wards implementing the project, communication activities to change behavior on reproductive health care and adolescent sexual health care, are young people focused, and create a favorable social environment for adolescents and young people to approach [community educators]. The follow up trainings and coaching are important for community educators to get updated knowledge on adolescent sexual reproductive health, and especially have an opportunity to reflect and exchange on-the ground experience in delivering education sessions in their villages”.
Following the two-day training, the participants went back to their communes to host village health meetings and practiced the reproductive health communication skills they acquired during the workshop. They received further feedback, support and technical guidance from Dr. Dung during these field activities.
The training session was well received by all participants. One participant, Ms. Pang, Vice leader of the Chieng Den Commune Women’s Union shared that:
“I feel that it is very meaningful for me to communicate with and educate villagers, especially teenagers and women about sexual health. The importance of birth control methods to help avoid pregnancy and safe reproductive health practices is very meaningful and interesting. I also learned from this session and shared the knowledge with my family and friends.”
HealthBridge Vietnam and the Son La CDC will continue to provide resources and learning material to this network of community health workers to strengthen their capacity to deliver excellent sexual and reproductive health education.
