For YOU-th by YOU-th

With the support of UNICEF, SIDC began implementing the “For YOU-th by YOU-th” (FYBY) project on July 25th, 2022, for a duration of 10 months, ending on May 25th, 2023. The main objective of the project is to reach out to youth at risk and their caregivers, educate them, and dispel their misconceptions about various topics, such as substance abuse, sexual health, and mental health. The project also aims to build the capacities of frontline workers on these topics, enabling them to identify risky behaviors among youth and refer them to available services.

One of the activities included in the FYBY project is “Dardashé,” which was initiated by SIDC to create a safe environment where youth, vulnerable communities, and key populations can express their thoughts, opinions, and concerns. In this activity, youth or other key populations gather to discuss issues that matter to them with the presence of a professional facilitator from SIDC. The main target for this activity was 500 adolescents, and as of March 2023, SIDC had reached 429 people in Lebanon.

The “Life-skills” activity is another program implemented by SIDC under this project. Adolescents aged 15 to 25 gain key competencies and new skills that help them cope with stressful situations and engage with their communities. The individuals learn about risky behaviors such as unprotected sexual relationships, drugs and alcohol misuse, smoking, and prevention of such behaviors, and instead, they learn to choose positive coping mechanisms and healthier lifestyles. The goal is to reach 800 individuals all over Lebanon, 200 per governorate. So far, more than 400 adolescents have been reached, and the remaining will be reached by the end of May.

Furthermore, “L-I-F-E – Learn, Interact, Fix and Enjoy” is an activity initiated by SIDC to help youth learn about risky behaviors, interact with their peers, fix unhealthy habits and misconceptions, and most importantly, enjoy their time and play educational games.

 The activity consists of conducting a forum with groups of youths aged less than 15 years old, and it takes place in schools. Under the framework of the FYBY project, SIDC will pilot the activity by conducting five forums in five different schools, of which three are in Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and two are in the North/Akkar region. A total of 200 school students will be reached in each forum. During the forum, many topics will be addressed, such as adolescence, puberty, risky behaviors, life skills, positive coping, relationships, bullying, and peer pressure. Each session lasts around one hour and includes activities that promote team spirit, self-awareness, and building coping mechanisms. The sessions will be conducted by specialists from SIDC. Each attendee will receive one L-I-F-E kit for attending. The kit includes a pack of three face masks, one hand gel, one notebook, one exercise book, crayons, pencils, markers, a reusable bottle of water, one life skills game, and one nylon bag of snacks and refreshments.

During February 2023, SIDC had reached 143 students in Akkar and 197 in Beirut through various educational sessions at schools across Lebanon. By the end of May, the team will be able to reach out to the targeted school students.