Together with a counselling organization in town, we came up with this program which we called The Peer Support Network for Health and Well-being in Natabua Prison. We chose 2 people from each living block amounting to about 14 people in total. Over a two week period the training covered communication skills and reproductive health and other general health information.
The program finished after four sessions. Unfortunately the project was by design sustainable, but in practice, well, not. At this medium security prison the inmates generally stay for 10-18 months. In other words, those who were trained to be 'peer educators' to their fellow inmates will be leaving in the near future.
Although the program will slowly fall apart, I did see an advertisement in the paper printed by Natabua prison looking for a health educator. They DO see the need! If nothing else, the prison was able to see the importance of these topics being addressed within their facility.
The 'gang'
Working on communication skills- Ratu from Pacific Counseling and Social Services.
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