STORIES
Testimonials and success stories from our programmes’ participants and coaches.
I love the key messages on sexual reproductive health. Now I know my rights as a lady and I can now say “NO” to anything I don’t want. I now know the helplines I can call in case I’m in trouble. I really enjoyed the teachings and will love to be a coach one day.
I enjoyed looking through the various perspectives. Before, I thought one could get malaria from dirty water because mosquito larvae grow there; but our coach corrected that by saying that because mosquito larva stays in water doesn’t mean drinking dirty water can transmit malaria. I got to know that one can get malaria only through the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito.
I’ve learnt how dangerous COVID-19 is and ways to curb its spread. Gender expectations are issues in the society today. I believe if more and more people have this awareness, things will get better in the family which is the basic unit of every society.
I heard that YEDI was bringing a program to my community, and it would involve a football competition for both male and female youth. I was excited but I didn’t not feel so confident about playing although I used to play for my school team some years back. Yes, it was fun training with other youths in the community, and the few hours we spent with our coach over the weeks before the programme also made me realise so many things about myself and others. Although my team didn’t win the tournament, it became glaring to me that the spirit of football is oneness, it has a way of bringing people together no matter the age and class. It also teaches determination, discipline, and care for others, and these are necessary on and off the pitch. I can never forget the fact that outside the experience of the football tournament, I also went home with a treated bed net. I started making use of it after the programme and sleeping has never been better, I fear that I have now become addicted to not sleeping except the bed net is intact. Perhaps, the net includes “sweet dreams” charm, whatever it is I am thankful beyond words.
I wish I knew what I just learnt in these 5 days camp earlier I won’t be a victim and drop out of school. But from today with what I have learnt, I will never make such a mistake again, no matter what it takes I will take care of my child and I want to go back to school……I also learnt that rape is not
the victim’s fault and that victims of sexual and gender-based violence need to speak up and get help.
The advantage of the program to children is helping them with exposure and making them better people. The programme will help them to discover themselves more and help them to understand their social values, set standards and what they can achieve in life.
I know that I am already beautiful as I am now and I know different types of abuse in case when people abuse me or anyone else is being abused. With the programme I know where to go or who to talk to.
Receiving calls from participants’ parents and from my participants themselves on the new day of the year makes me feel extremely happy and fulfilled. As peer educators and coaches, we have positively impacted their lives in a variety of ways, and these will have a multiplier effect on society.
A family came to the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Awareness Outreach at Ferry Oworo Community seeking assistance for their two children suffering
from rashes all over their bodies without any idea what they were. Their rashes prevented them from going to school and socializing with friends as the kids in their neighborhood avoided them because they were ill. An HIV test was conducted, and they tested positive; they were connected with care through YEDI’s efforts, and are now healthy, and are ready to return to school.
“The YEDI’s Grassroot Soccer Advanced Skillz program has helped me in many ways and it also changed my decision-making skills. I wanted to enter into a relationship with a guy that would have involved sex but by participating in this program, I found out that this is not the time for that – it is the time to focus on my dreams and studies; I learnt that abstaining from sex is the best way to make this happen, till I am psychologically mature.”
Glory Ubong Hope
Community Secondary School, Aka Offot, Akwa Ibom State
Olamide Olaegbe, Coach
“The online SKILLZ COVID-19 project intervention has really been fun. It has built up my leadership and communication skills especially in the aspects of relating with teenagers and young adult via the WhatsApp group. It has enlightened my knowledge, as well as my participant’s knowledge during the course of the interventions. I saw that there is information that people are still not aware of and different misconceptions about things relating to SRH and COVID-19, but at the end of every week intervention, they learn, relearn and share the right information with their friends and families. Thanks to YEDI for this opportunity.”