Every Saturday, 20-year-old Helton Bruno meets with boys and young men (ages 17 - 24) in Nampula province in northern Mozambique.
Bringing these youth together, Helton prompts questions and sparks discussions on issues related to sexual and reproductive health and rights, violence against women and girls, and what values and behaviours young men and boys should demonstrate in order to contribute to an equitable and progressive society - topics very pertinent to their lives.
"The joy of spreading knowledge is my greatest motivation," shares Helton, adding that he wants to change the mindset of youth about practices that are harmful to young people and their communities. The discussions take place in a casual manner, free of judgment, and intimidating and unfamiliar language. "Because it is a young person speaking to another young person, the message is easily taken in," he notes.
These types of mentorship sessions are held weekly for a network of young people who engage with other members of their community to increase knowledge and awareness of individual rights, including the rights of women and girls.
In Nampula and Zambezia provinces, 450 trained mentors lead sessions under the adolescent sexual and reproductive health program, Rapariga Biz, funded by the Governments of Canada and Sweden, and the multi-donor UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Global Program to End Child Marriage. Since these mentorship sessions began, more than 9,600 boys and young men have taken part, now playing a critical role in reflecting and assessing individual and collective behaviors that can be considered harmful and can hinder equality amongst genders.
Helton mentors a group of 20 boys, and feels proud to be contributing to a positive change in their behavior. "I am happy to see that the youth I mentor are aware that they must respect the rights of others," he explains.
Vasco César, 17 years old, is one such example. He acknowledges that he has changed since joining the mentorship sessions led by Helton. "I always thought that because I was a man I had to have more privileges than my sisters, and I shouldn't do certain household tasks," he says.
"I changed the way I see the world, and that when a girl says 'no' it is ‘NO’, he adds.
These sessions are essential against a backdrop of high rates of child marriage and early pregnancy: in Nampula province, nearly one in two girls ages 15 - 19 are young mothers (IMASIDA 2015).
Like Helton, 17-year-old Marto Abel is also a mentor, highlighting that to end gender-based violence, it is crucial to help young people adapt their mindset and ensure that boys are equipped with the tools to express themselves in a non-violent and respectful way:
"I see positive transformation in the behavior and attitude of the group I mentor," says Marto. He adds: "Nowadays, they realize the equality and equity that must exist between girls and boys.".
Thanks to Rapariga Biz, Marto considers himself a change agent, as he has also been advising, guiding, and referring adolescents and young people to health services. "In my group, there is a particular interest in discussing issues related to their sexuality or sexual and reproductive health, and I have been advising my mentees to visit the SAAJ (youth-friendly health service)," Marto shares.
Rapariga Biz is a program that seeks to empower adolescent girls and young women to prevent child marriage and early and unwanted pregnancies through a holistic and multi-sectoral life skills approach, in addition to encouraging more girls to stay in school or return to school. Funded by the Governments of Canada and Sweden, Rapariga Biz is implemented by UNFPA, together with UNICEF, UN Women and UNESCO.
The UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage works to eliminate child marriage through technical support to key stakeholders, including the Government and national NGOs, as well as through multi-sectoral coordination and capacity building, awareness-raising campaigns, mentoring sessions, and through the involvement of community and religious leaders. The Global Programme is generously supported by the Governments of Belgium, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Zonta International.
