We’re proving it

1. Young people canchange the world We’re proving it

2. Our vision Young people taking a leadership role in addressing the most urgent issues facing Sierra Leone

3. Who are we? • Restless Development Sierra Leone is the leading youth-led development agency in the country. • We are the frontrunner in engaging and supporting young people to address the urgent social development needs (such as health, education, employment) in Sierra Leone. • Restless Development is cited as an example of best practice by UNICEF, UNAIDS and the World Bank for our unique methodology. • Restless Development Sierra Leone is the winner of the AWOL NGO of the Year Award 2009.

4. Where we work? • All 12 Districts and Western Area • 91 Chiefdoms with volunteer presence • 126 Volunteer peer educators • 3 Youth information centres • Over 600 trained young leaders • 300,000 young people reached so far

5. Our Model • Youth Led Approach - Fully trains and equips young people as leaders of programme delivery and community development. • Community level service delivery • Non Formal Education – utilising innovative and non-formal education techniques • Capacity Building of community stakeholders • Working to build capacity of government structures to transform their responses to ‘emerging issues’ such as gender, HIV and AIDS and Sexual Health • Long term sustainable approach

6. What we do Restless Development and Health in Sierra Leone • Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) • Sanitation • Malaria • Maternal Health • Free Health Care initiative • International Breastfeeding Day • Training of teachers • Training of Community Health Officers

7. How we do it • 1. Youth Empowerment • Programme (YEP) • Reaching remote, rural communities • Giving young Sierra Leonean volunteers a unique experience of leading and influencing grassroots community development • Strengthening community knowledge of SRH and other primary health issues and impacting on health-seeking behaviours of young people.

8. 2. Youth Leadership and Advocacy Programme (YLAP) • Provision of VCCT to tertiary students in collaboration with NAS • Health talks targeting young people conducted at Youth Information Centres • Drama Groups conduct street drama sensitizations and radio talk shows providing information on health issues to a wide range of young people in Freetown, Bo and Makeni reaching out to more than 40,000 people annually. • Advocating to the Government for the inclusion and monitoring of a comprehensive SRH curriculum to be delivered in schools nationwide • Interns placed at government ministries to build capacity in youth focussed development

9. Our Impact 2010/11 Knowledge: • 55% increase in the number of YP aware that a single sperm can cause pregnancy • 25% increase in the number of YP able to identify three modes of HIV transmission • 14% increase in the number of YP denying 3 major myths regarding HIV infection Practice: • 42% increase in the number of young people using condoms in last sexual encounter • 15% increase in the number of YP accessing HIV testing when they thought they were at risk of contracting HIV. • 41% reduction in reported cases of STIs • Up to 75% decrease in number of teenage pregnancies in placement communities • 22% increase in the number of YP accessing available SRH services

10. Our Reach 2010/11 • 70,000 students and 1,000 teachers in 200 schools, receiving weekly life-saving information on HIV & AIDS and sexual health • 63 Communities now running regular Sexual Reproductive Health activities independently of Restless Development • 12,113 SRH and 5232 Lifeskills lessons are delivered in schools across Sierra Leone each year • Over 4000 teachers have co-facilitated SRH lessons in schools • More than 21,000 young people visited our Youth friendly resource centres for the first time for peer advice and health information. • Over 30,000 community members attending awareness-raising events

11. Our Reach 2010/11 • More than 70,000 condoms distributed annually to both rural and urban communities • 18,670 young people participated in community clinic visits • 5880 rural and 300 urban young people tested for HIV annually as a result of Restless Development intervention • Approximately 1400 teachers trained per year to deliver SRH lessons in schools • Approximately 80 Community Health Officers trained in the delivery of youth friendly services annually. • 687 Community Leaders trained to deliver health activities

12. What else do we do? • Building a stronger youth sector – strengthening community structures such as CHOs, CYCs, DYCs • Shaping policy and practice – using what we know to guide others in best practice • Sharing and learning – government capacity building

13. Our Unique Strengths • National coverage - 91 chiefdoms, 12 districts • Community embeddedness in hard to reach rural areas • Accessibility of programme through use of non-formal education • Driven by young people who are dynamic, empowered and motivated • Cost effective - Our model uses minimal resources for greatest impact • Government endorsed and supported

14. FOR MORE INFORMATION info@restlessdevelopment.org www.restlessdevelopment.org Thank you for listening