Youth Action Movement Eswatini

AFRICAN CITIZENS INITIATIVE (ACI) The Family Life Association of Swaziland (FLAS) has launched the African Citizens Initiative (ACI) in the country to mobilise the extensive network of volunteers, corporate partners, friends and staff for resource mobilisation purposes. The ACI is one of the many initiatives undertaken by FLAS and IPPFAR to respond in the changing donor architecture and reduction in core funding as traditional donors shift their focus to other global priorities. The African Citizens Initiative will then create and support a pooled fund to eventually replace the reductions in core funding that member Associations are experiencing. What is the African Citizens Initiative? The African Citizens Initiative (ACI) is an innovative regional approach which seeks to use the extensive network of FLAS volunteers, friends, partners and staff for resource mobilisation purposes through making pledges of a fixed amount of money over certain period of time. This is a Peer to Pee...

Sexual Rights Are Human Rights! The Family Life Association of Swaziland (FLAS) took a paradigm and strategic shift in 1999 after the IPPF conference to focus on young people and integrate Sexual and Reproductive and Health Rights programing. The focus has brought about a lot of controversy amongst the conservative and religious sector especially when SRHR is used in conjunction with young people. Hence the objective of today’s article is to explain what are Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights as well as the essence of providing comprehensive SRHR services and information to young people in Eswatini. Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) encompasses all of the rights and issues surrounding a person’s Sexual and Reproductive life. These rights are closely linked with other internationally recognised human rights, such as the right to privacy, the right to education and information, the right to equality and freedom from violence and all forms of discrimination, t...

As 28th September is commemorated globally, SAfAIDS recognises past and current global, regional and local efforts advocating adolescent girls and women’s access to safe abortion. SAfAIDS however notes with great concern the increasing retrogressive and punitive legislative frameworks and policies denying women’s access to safe abortion and freedom of choice, criminalising abortion, and limiting access to comprehensive reproductive rights and health, contributing to high rates of morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries. Additionally, the Mexico City Policy (Global Gag Rule) reinstated in 2017 only served to worsen the plight of adolescent girls and women - through denied full bodily autonomy and agency, and restricted access to comprehensive reproductive health services, including safe abortion. It is against this background that SAfAIDS and its partners in SADC are buttressing efforts to promote adolescent girls and women’s access to comprehensive s...

It's All About Contraceptives It is quite exciting to note that the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act of 2018 have finally received Royal Assent from His Majesty King Mswati III and is now law in the Kingdom of Eswatini. I strongly believe that the existence of the SODV Act of 2018 will provide a protective environment for the marginalised and vulnerable groups of society, restore peace in different family settings and make courts accessible for victims of Sexual and Gender Based Violence. The coming into law of the SODV Act of 2018 will create an environment in Eswatini where Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights are protected, supported and respected.  True to the words of an African giant, Ngugi Wa Thiongo, “There is no night so long that it does not end with dawn’’. Indeed, the SODV Act of 2018 presents a new dawn in the struggle to champion access to quality and non-discriminatory SRHR information and services in Eswatini. Today’s article will focus on the d...

Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) For Young People. On 7 December 2013, Ministers of Health and Education from 20 Countries in Eastern and Southern Africa met to discuss the common challenges facing young people in the region. While they recognised that significant progress had been made to address the needs of adolescents and young people with respects to ensuring access to life skills based HIV and Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and youth friendly sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services: they realised that there was still more work to be done. Notably the Eastern and Southern Africa remains the region mostly affected by HIV, its faces high rates of adolescent maternal mortality and among other social and public health challenges. The 20 countries then crafted the Ministerial Commitment on CSE and SRH services for Adolescents and Young people in Eastern and Southern Africa – otherwise known as the ESA commitment. In it, they agreed to work collaboratively tow...

Extending the Arm of Health (ETAH) FLAS strive to provide integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health services through the static clinics and outreach sites prioritizing young people aged 10-24 as a primary target and adults above 24 years as its secondary target group. In an effort to expand service provision, the Association also focus on enabling other partners through service provision, capacity building and mentoring. The Family Life Association of Eswatini strategic plan 2016 -2020 stresses particular attention in reaching out to a number of people with SRHR services and information. The Association pledged and committed to provide over 2 million qualities integrated SRH services delivered by FLAS volunteers, staff and partners. This is because integrated SRHR and HIV service delivery remain the core function of the institution and this is enabled and done through static clinics and outreach activities with mobile clinic. Rational for Integrated SRHR and HIV services Among ...

In an effort to create safe spaces for youth, FLAS operates in five (5) Youth Friendly Centers in the country. These Youth Centers are located   Manzini; Nhlangano, Mantambe, Mbabane and Big Bend. There are used as forums to reach young people with accurate information on SRHR and HIV information and life skills development. The Youth centers have an elected Site Advisory Committees that coordinates and implement activities in different communities and reach out too many young people with information and services. FLAS interacts with over 34000 young people on an annual basis through the Youth Centers. The core functions of the Youth Centers Deliver Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) These sessions are ongoing and supported by parents and community leaders and help to give the youth advice on problems that include Reproductive Health & HIV, weight management, mental problems, and stop drug abuse aspects. Peer to Peer educational sessions empowers you...