Peer Education Project for Young People of Bangladeshi & Somali Origin
The project was developed after the Camden Women's Health Forum, local voluntary and community groups and Camden PCT identified an urgent need to address the personal health and relationships needs of young people of Bangladeshi and Somali origin in Camden. The Project is funded by the Kings Fund and Camden Local Area Agreements.
A steering group with members from voluntary and community organisations, University College London, Camden PCT and Camden Council was set up.
The objectives of the pilot project are to:
- develop a programme to train young people of Bangladeshi and Somali origin to become personal and reproductive health Peer Educators;
- assess the acceptability of personal & reproductive health Peer Education for young people;
- explore and improve the personal & reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and awareness of young people of Bangladeshi and Somali origin in Camden to enable them to better and more appropriately access relevant health services if needed;
- inform local service delivery for these communities and to improve the cultural appropriateness of relevant health services.
Activities to date
In September 2007 a successful consultation and awareness raising event for parents and young people took place.
Four Project Mentors have been appointed by Hopscotch Asian Women's Centre, Fitzrovia Youth in Action, British Somali Community and the Somali Community Development Trust in October/November 2007. They have recruited 7 Peer Educators aged between 18 - 23 years old.
A Peer Education Training course accredited to OCN Level 1 for Project Mentors and Peer Educators took place at the Mary Ward Centre together with a Team Building Day at Woodrow High House in Amersham in January 2008.
The Peer Educators are currently holding workshops across Camden for both the Bangladeshi and the Somali young people. If you are interested, please contact the relevant Project Mentors:
Hanad Mohammed (Project Mentor for male Peer Educators of Somali origin)
Employer: Somali Community Development Trust: 020 7812 1445. Hanad can also be contacted at Somali Youth Development & Resource Centre: 020 7424 1604
Email: m.hanad@gmail.com
Osob Abdi-Ismail (Project Mentor for female Peer Educators of Somali origin)
Employer: British Somali Community: 020 7485 2963
Email: osob@britishsomali.org or ertyland@yahoo.com
Shipon Hussain (Project Mentor for male Peer Educators of Bangladeshi origin)
Employer: Fitzrovia Youth in Action: 020 7388 7399
Email: shipon.hussain@fyi.org.uk
Aksary Rahman (Project Mentor for female Peer Educators of Bangladeshi origin)
Employer: Hopscotch Asian Women's Centre: 020 7388 6200
Email: aksary1@hotmail.com
A Religious and Community Leaders event to bring awareness of and participation in this project is taking place on Thursday 15th May 08. If you are interested in attending this event as a religious / community leader of the either the Bangladeshi or Somali community, please contact Monica Crooks, Project Officer, on either telephone number 020 7284 6562 or Monica Crooks.
Page last updated: July 1, 2008
