The Philippines has one of the highest cases of teenage pregnancy in Asia . One of the major causes of this is the lack of proper education among others. Teens already go through numerous daily troubles that is why they must be equipped with the proper knowledge and life skills to help them. The proper education can truly empower girls — and boys — to feel in control of their lives and make better decisions for their immediate and future families.
Last October 11, 2018, the Z club of Childlink High School Cebu in cooperation with the Zonta Club of Cebu II did a campaign #There’s Joy in Life against Teenage Pregnancy to the Ramon Duterte High School, a public school with about 8000 students in the Junior and Senior High School. The campaign started with a short talk by a medical doctor who is an active member of the Zonta Club of Cebu II. Dr. Florencia Miel talked about Teenage Pregnancy to immerse the young audience in the severity of the situation by discussing its causes, adverse effects, direct and indirect effects, frequency, and prevention. Workshops that were spearheaded by the Z Club members followed. These included song workshops, poster and slogan making, and role play. These were presented as output before the activity ended.
The workshop activities in the module are designed in such a way that teenagers are given sparks of interests and potentials (which have been left untapped) which they can do to improve their self-worth. The modules made by the Z Club for this project may not totally stop teenage pregnancy from happening but these are preventive, in the hope of making the students realize that there is hope and joy in their life’s struggles and challenges. They do not have to go into sexual encounters and relationships caused by peer pressure or as an escape from their teenage struggles but to let them realize that there is a need to love and take care of themselves more to ensure a better future.
