Implementation of Anyaka Makwiri: A Multicomponent Mentoring Program for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Uganda
This article describes the development and implementation of the Anyaka Makwiri program and summarizes results from the qualitative assessment of participant experiences. Anyaka Makwiri is a multicomponent mentoring program developed for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) ages 15 to 24 in Gulu,...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Clemson University Press
2021-07-01
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Series: | Journal of Youth Development |
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Online Access: | https://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/1003 |
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author | Kate F. Plourde Geeta Nanda Elise Healy Dennis Kibwola Phoebe Mutonyi Michael Ochwo Francis Okello Joy Cunningham |
author_facet | Kate F. Plourde Geeta Nanda Elise Healy Dennis Kibwola Phoebe Mutonyi Michael Ochwo Francis Okello Joy Cunningham |
author_sort | Kate F. Plourde |
collection | DOAJ |
description | This article describes the development and implementation of the Anyaka Makwiri program and summarizes results from the qualitative assessment of participant experiences. Anyaka Makwiri is a multicomponent mentoring program developed for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) ages 15 to 24 in Gulu, Uganda. The comprehensive program consisted of a curriculum covering sexual and reproductive health (SRH), financial capabilities, soft skills, and gender-based violence and gender equality; activities designed to improve participants’ social connectedness; optional onsite testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV, and pregnancy along with STI treatment; group-based savings; and links to SRH services, including contraceptive and gender-based violence services. The program was implemented over a 6-month period and reached 490 AGYW. Findings are derived from routine program-monitoring data including administrative records, de-identified service statistics, and baseline surveys. In addition, this article summarizes some of the key findings from qualitative interviews with both mentors and AGYW participants, conducted at the conclusion of the program. Participants generally had a favorable view of the mentoring program, particularly in terms of the curriculum topics they were exposed to, and mentors were also positive about their experiences. Despite the program’s many successes there were some implementation challenges, the most prominent being intermittent participant attendance due to a variety of difficulties. The lessons learned from the implementation of Anyaka Makwiri provide valuable insights for the design and implementation of multicomponent mentoring programs for AGYW. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-08T08:18:49Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-df0484f804474375941e1f6fbe90e6ec |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2325-4017 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-08T08:18:49Z |
publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
publisher | Clemson University Press |
record_format | Article |
series | Journal of Youth Development |
spelling | doaj.art-df0484f804474375941e1f6fbe90e6ec2024-02-02T06:57:08ZengClemson University PressJournal of Youth Development2325-40172021-07-01162-327828610.5195/jyd.2021.1003706Implementation of Anyaka Makwiri: A Multicomponent Mentoring Program for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in UgandaKate F. Plourde0Geeta Nanda1Elise Healy2Dennis Kibwola3Phoebe Mutonyi4Michael Ochwo5Francis Okello6Joy Cunningham7Research Utilization: Global Health, Population, and Nutrition, FHI 360Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health: Global Health, Population, and Nutrition, FHI 360Research Utilization: Global Health, Population, and Nutrition, FHI 360FHI 360 UgandaAnyaka Makwiri and The Aids Support Organization (TASO) GuluThe Aids Support Organization (TASO) GuluVarimetrics Group LimitedResearch Utilization: Global Health, Population, and Nutrition, FHI 360This article describes the development and implementation of the Anyaka Makwiri program and summarizes results from the qualitative assessment of participant experiences. Anyaka Makwiri is a multicomponent mentoring program developed for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) ages 15 to 24 in Gulu, Uganda. The comprehensive program consisted of a curriculum covering sexual and reproductive health (SRH), financial capabilities, soft skills, and gender-based violence and gender equality; activities designed to improve participants’ social connectedness; optional onsite testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV, and pregnancy along with STI treatment; group-based savings; and links to SRH services, including contraceptive and gender-based violence services. The program was implemented over a 6-month period and reached 490 AGYW. Findings are derived from routine program-monitoring data including administrative records, de-identified service statistics, and baseline surveys. In addition, this article summarizes some of the key findings from qualitative interviews with both mentors and AGYW participants, conducted at the conclusion of the program. Participants generally had a favorable view of the mentoring program, particularly in terms of the curriculum topics they were exposed to, and mentors were also positive about their experiences. Despite the program’s many successes there were some implementation challenges, the most prominent being intermittent participant attendance due to a variety of difficulties. The lessons learned from the implementation of Anyaka Makwiri provide valuable insights for the design and implementation of multicomponent mentoring programs for AGYW.https://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/1003adolescent girlsyoung womenhivreproductive healthmentoringasset-building |
spellingShingle | Kate F. Plourde Geeta Nanda Elise Healy Dennis Kibwola Phoebe Mutonyi Michael Ochwo Francis Okello Joy Cunningham Implementation of Anyaka Makwiri: A Multicomponent Mentoring Program for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Uganda Journal of Youth Development adolescent girls young women hiv reproductive health mentoring asset-building |
title | Implementation of Anyaka Makwiri: A Multicomponent Mentoring Program for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Uganda |
title_full | Implementation of Anyaka Makwiri: A Multicomponent Mentoring Program for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Uganda |
title_fullStr | Implementation of Anyaka Makwiri: A Multicomponent Mentoring Program for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Uganda |
title_full_unstemmed | Implementation of Anyaka Makwiri: A Multicomponent Mentoring Program for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Uganda |
title_short | Implementation of Anyaka Makwiri: A Multicomponent Mentoring Program for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Uganda |
title_sort | implementation of anyaka makwiri a multicomponent mentoring program for adolescent girls and young women in uganda |
topic | adolescent girls young women hiv reproductive health mentoring asset-building |
url | https://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/1003 |
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