“Empower young people who have information and access and the word will get out”
Vivien is a member of the Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights. She works as a project manager for Empower Youth For Work in Indonesia. She worked with UNFPA on more than a dozen emergencies in various roles as a youth coordinator and program officer.
Vivien has been through several disasters. She says each one provides new opportunities to learn.
“If you study young people’s voices in an emergency,” she says “ it improves inclusion during and after the recovery.”
She says the most important thing is to provide flexible services and help young people spread the word.
“Empower young people who have information and access and the word will get out,” Vivien says.
“Empower young people who have information and access and the word will get out,” Vivien says.
She says her current role is about facilitating better coordination between the national government and the district health offices, so there is a synchronized response in emergencies.
“Access to services and information is badly needed for young people,” Vivien says. “Access is the first thing we look at when we do a field assessment.”
Vivian says it’s less about creating a clinical space, and more focused on providing a flexible place for young people
“You have to think about these spaces for young people to get together and to share information about sexual health. But it happens naturally when they tall about movies, social media but it happens in a place where they can access services at the same time.”
Vivien says that when she first started working in disasters, public health officials didn't have the training or capacity to even keep track of young people in disasters.
“I went to one of the camps there and then I asked about the number of the young people,” she says. “They didn’t have any data regarding the young people at all.”]
Vivien says it was shocking to see that lack of services for young people.
“Young people are some of the most impacted but they were not being considered in the response,” she recalls. .
Vivien played a key role in helping Indonesia build a youth engagement network to help shape the response.
“We’re trying to develop systems so we have a lot of peer to peer educators.”
“We’re trying to develop systems so we have a lot of peer to peer educators,” she says.
Vivien says the peer to peer approach immediately helps young people open up about the issues they are facing and creates referrals for them to access services from nurses, doctors or even mental health services.
“We create places for services under the youth friendly spaces,” she says. “This helps people feel at ease.”
Vivien says she’s seen girls go from shy and scared to becoming leaders in their community because of the peer to peer program.
“There was a girl and she was crying,” Vivien remembers. “She could not say anything. After being through the program after a few months this young girl could speak up and became a dedicated community leader.”
“This young girl could speak up and became a dedicated community leader.”
Vivien says it’s about creating a close working relationship between young people and midwives. She says the dignity kits are a helpful part of the wider discussion about women’s health.
“First, we have first medical supplies,” she says. “A midwife takes it and she has a way to start a discussion with women.”
Vivien says midwives are well trained at how to deliver babies but the kits also contain information to help broaden the conversation
“There is information on the Adolescent sexual topic of healthy young people,” she says. “The materials help you see how to communicate with young people.”
“The materials help you see how to communicate with young people.”
Vivien says building a cluster of youth and women friendly spaces near the clinic allows for the services to be accessed in an easier, and more discreet way.
“Everything is because the interface revolves around the health post,” she says. “But there is a woman friendly space as well as the youth forums.”
Vivien says that once young people are invited into the discussion about what supplies they need, all kinds of helpful suggestions about the contents of the kits are made.
“We have a consultation with the young people through your friendly spaces with the Youth Forum,” she says. “Based on the consultation with the young people, they share ideas. For example the underwear needed to be adapted for young people so that it fits them.”
“Based on the consultation with the young people, they share ideas. For example the underwear needed to be adapted for young people so that it fits them.”
In addition to including the youth perspectives, Vivien says it is equally important to adapt the response with localized languages and engagement with community leaders.
“We are trying to use localized languages,” Vivien says. “There's local people, and the youth also engage with the community leaders or camp leaders. It’s really important that you plan on this as a separate engagement and plan time to inform them about the projects.”
While coordinating in a humanitarian response is critical, Vivian says it’s also important to build systems so your people can be involved in planning.
“Be sure your project caters the participation of the young people before the disaster. This makes it easier for us to engage local organizations who are working there.”
Her advice to colleagues: “Be sure your project caters the participation of the young people before the disaster. This makes it easier for us to engage local organizations who are working there.”
Vivien says despite the progress that has been made in preparedness, there are still gaps in the system, especially for women and girls.
“During the emergency, there is a basic need that is not being fulfilled.”
“During the emergency, there is a basic need that is not being fulfilled,” she says.
Vivien says that the breakdown of social structures leaves some girls without knowledge of the basics of their body.
“Some girls said they don't know they don't know what menstruation even is,” she says. “They just feel that bleeding, but they don't know that this menstruation.”
“Some girls said they don't know they don't know what menstruation even is. They just feel that bleeding, but they don't know that this menstruation.”
These experiences have motivated her to push for girls to have a seat at the planning discussion, but mostly by creating a space for young people to have discussions amongst themselves about the issues they are most concerned about.
“When I see girls that don’t know about basics like menstrual hygiene,” she says “I don't know how to get help because the needs are enormous. At least we can help the discussion take place.”
“When I see girls that don’t know about basics like menstrual hygiene, I don't know how to get help because the needs are enormous. At least we can help the discussion take place.”
Vivien says that creating a safe space for young people has also created pathways for girls to report cases of gender based violence. Despite the progress in creating reporting mechanisms, she says there are many cases of abuse and even pregnancy where the girls are afraid to talk about it.
“Most young people don't want to report cases of rape,” she says. “Even though there's an early pregnancy sometime.”
“Most young people don't want to report cases of rape,” she says. “Even though there's an early pregnancy sometime.”
Vivien says the girls will talk about their symptoms so it’s up to the health workers to spot some of the signs.
“Girls will say ‘I just got headaches for so many days, and I think I'm not feeling well.’ They don't even know about pregnancy,” she says.
Having this close relationship with peer leaders, nurses and health workers then allows girls to talk more openly about abuse.
“Often there is abuse in their pain,” Viven says. “If they don't notice a certain kind of abuse we support them and educate young people like this.”
“Often there is abuse in their pain.”
Ideally Vivien says all these services need to work together to listen to young people and deliver the services they need and ask for. Dignity Kits play a crucial part in bringing women and girls together and hosting important talks on rights in a safe and supportive space.