Real Men Program
The Real Men Program commenced in 2011 as a parallel program to the Girl Power workshops and was created for the young boys on Saba. We sought to identify male role models in the community that would bring motivational messages and create bonds of trust that allow open communication on issues of interest to the young men .
The June 2013 workshops aimed to empower SCS students to take the right decisions in leading balanced healthy lives. The goal of medical student volunteers was to establish a mentor-peer relationship, so that SCS students would be receptive and become properly informed about the consequences of decisions they make about their lifestyles.
More than 60 medical students participated in the educational workshops, during which nutrition, exercise and sexual health topics were discussed. SCS students were separated in three female and three male groups and medical students were grouped similarly in three groups of male and female presenters.
The Real Men Program commenced in 2011 as a parallel program to the Girl Power workshops and was created for the young boys on Saba. We sought to identify male role models in the community that would bring motivational messages and create bonds of trust that allow open communication on issues of interest to the young men .
The June 2013 workshops aimed to empower SCS students to take the right decisions in leading balanced healthy lives. The goal of medical student volunteers was to establish a mentor-peer relationship, so that SCS students would be receptive and become properly informed about the consequences of decisions they make about their lifestyles.
More than 60 medical students participated in the educational workshops, during which nutrition, exercise and sexual health topics were discussed. SCS students were separated in three female and three male groups and medical students were grouped similarly in three groups of male and female presenters.
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Each group of workshop facilitators rotated among their gender-respective classes with their individual topic presentations. The first set of presentations approached the topics of proper nutrition. The students engaged in several interactive games on the importance of all these notions for a healthy life and for the prevention of common diseases. Several games, including a nutrition-based Jeopardy competition, were played to test participant knowledge after the presentations. included an exercise component for a healthy life style, one that empowers girls and boys, leading to increased self-esteem. The types of exercises and their effect on physical and mental health were discussed during the workshop and different types of correct practices were even presented during a work-out session in the court-yard.
The final topic of the workshops was sexual health, discussed from the particular perspective of each sex and the effect of a healthy, safe sex life on their self-esteem and their future development as strong, confident young adults. Both female and male proper condom use were thought during the workshops, together with communication skills regarding use. Each of the SCS students and the volunteer received a T-shirt with the new logo of the Foundation. BMS also sponsored the lunch for everyone present. |