Table 1 AGEP core curricula implemented through weekly girls’ groups meetings
From: Cluster randomized evaluation of Adolescent Girls Empowerment Programme (AGEP): study protocol
Health and life skills | Session topics |
Introductory sessions (9 sessions) | What to expect (×2 sessions); teamwork; gender roles; communication; self-esteem; goal identification; goal setting; personal relationships |
Reproductive health (9 sessions) | Life cycle; body changes; pregnancy; avoiding unintended pregnancy; reproductive myths; sexual desire; unsafe abortion, abortion and stigma; maternal mortality |
Life skills (11 sessions) | Healthy relationships; reasons for delaying sex; strategies for delaying sex; passive, assertive and aggressive behaviour; drugs and alcohol; peer-pressure; decision-making; communications; managing emotions; conflict resolution |
HIV, AIDs and STIs (6 sessions) | Information on transmission; myths and facts; HIV testing and counselling; risky behaviour; relationship of STIs and HIV; Stigma and discrimination |
Gender and gender-based violence (4 sessions) | Sexual exploitation; avoiding and reporting sexual violence; rape and gender violence; preventing unwanted advances |
Leadership (2 sessions) | Defining and identifying the qualities of leadership; community service and action |
Human rights (3 sessions) | Defining human and children’s rights; sexual and reproductive health rights; HIV and AIDS and human rights. |
Financial education | |
Dreams (1 session) | Strengths, weakness, opportunity and threats in achieving dreams |
Saving and earning money (10 sessions) | Why save, choose a savings goal, make a savings plan, banks and bank accounts, options for earning money, risky ways to earn money, difference between needs and wants, controlling spending, planning income and expenses, saving regularly |
Managing money (7 sessions) | Safe places to save, dealing with setbacks in saving, own versus others money, talking about money, do’s and don’ts when talking about money, resolving conflicts over money, resolving conflicts role play |
Good money management (1 session) | Journey to good money management |
Nutrition | |
Building blocks of nutrition (3 sessions) | Nutritional needs of adolescent girls (types of foods), role of food in the body (dietary diversity), anaemia–causes and symptoms |
Nutrition in pregnancy, infancy & early childhood (3 sessions)† | Nutrition needs during pregnancy, infant feeding, child feeding and growth monitoring |