As part of the “Project for Improving Menstrual Health Management of Adolescent Girls and Women in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh”, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Korea International Development Agency (KOICA) are opening their first-ever Adolescent and Youth Centre in Rohingya camps.
The centre was inaugurated on Monday during a ceremony held at Camp 13 by the Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) of Bangladesh Md Shamsud Douza, according to a press release issued on Monday.
UNFPA Deputy Representative Dr Eiko Narita, Director of Korea International Agency of Cooperation Young Ah Doh and the Head of the UNFPA Sub-office in Cox’s Bazar Roselidah Raphael also joined the inauguration alongside representatives of the project’s implementing partners, Mukti Cox’s Bazar and Prottyashi.
Both adolescent girls and boys and their caregivers will be served by the centre located in Camp 13.
The centre will be instrumental in educating and building the life skills of Rohingya adolescents and youth, with a particular emphasis on issues like menstrual health management, gender, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), peaceful conflict resolution, and protection education.
The life skills education classes provided by the centre will aim to raise awareness of menstrual health and hygiene among men and boys by integrating sessions on menstruation, SRHR and gender into their curriculum, the release added.
The centres will also inform the community members of the available sexual and reproductive health and psychosocial support services (PSS), and livelihood skills training opportunities in the camps.
In the future, the project plans to open seven more adolescent and youth centres in the Rohingya camps, as well as four centres located in school premises in the host communities of Ukhiya, Teknaf, Moheshkhali upazila, and Cox’s Bazar district.
Once completed, a total of 17,160 adolescent girls and boys and caregivers are expected to benefit from the services provided by the centres.