The Youth Information Centers (YIC) established under RHIYA Program, are continuing advocacy and awareness raising activities even after phase-out of the RHIYA Program on their own resources. In Chautari Samajik Bikash Kendra, Rajahar, Binahi Youth club kawasoti, Sunlight youth club Agayauli, ...

RHIYA sailed uninterruptedly despite conflict and insurgency, ASRH was received positively I am Dhana Bahadur Chaudhary of Rupandehi district in Nepal, one of the Youth Mobiliser of AMK under RHIYA program. I used to be an active member of the Farmer's Union, a sister organization of then outlawed and rebellion Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) Maoist...

TULSI Kharel, 19, of Rampur village in Chitwan is learning more about the importance of adolescent reproductive health after a local non-governmental organisation started its peer education programme on reproductive health there. But much more will be needed to improve knowledge about reproductive health of the entire population of the country. "In the villages, many women suffer from reproductive health problems. I now know about the impacts of early marriage and pregnancy on our lives," says Tulsi.

Madhu" resisted second rite of her marriage to prolong her separation with her bride Madhu, an adolescent girls got married two year ago at the age of 13 before the RHIYA programme launched. After participation in the RHIYA programme as a peer group member, she knew and learned the adverse effects of child and early marriage and consequences of early pregnancy and other related risks thereof...

Mamata today is grateful towards her peers. She feels much proud to be a member of the Nav Jeewan (New Life) Adolescent Girls peer group of Amritganj VDC in Bara district. She has a reason for that too. If the peers of the groups would have not been proactive against the child marriage in the community, she would have been surely victim of child marriage like other innumerable girls and boys who have been regularly victimized...

Meena, 22, was living alone in a rented room in Dolakha and working as a seamstress, when she was befriended by Hari, a goldsmith, who worked nearby. After promising to marry her, he started pressuring her for sex and eventually, she gave in. Soon Meena was pregnant; but when Hari found out, he disappeared. It was then that she discovered that he was, in fact, already married. She was angry and desperate...

Rupa was born in the plains of mid western Nepal. She got married at the age of 15 and was brought to Pokhara by her bride. From the very beginning of her marriage, she started living in a slum community in Pokhara. She was shy and timid. She did not come out from her room (living in two small rooms) for about a couple of years except the time for fetching water, cleaning and washing in nearby public tap. Almost nobody around saw her face for that period. She became second time pregnant by the age of 17...

Rupa thanks to RHIYA I fell in love when I was in grade 5 and got married at the age of 15. I became pregnant and gave a still birth. I was depressed, physically very weak and innocent as well about Reproductive health (RH). Suddenly I heard about RHIYA programme being launched in my Village Development Committee (VDC) through a youth mobiliser who motivated me to join the peer group meeting. After joining the group I learned a lot on ASRH issue...

This is a story of Radhika Pariyar (name changed), a 15 year old student to share her experience of utilizing a SRH service from Youth friendly Service Centre in Chitwan district, run by Sunaulo Parivar Nepal under RHIYA project. Radhika Pariyar, a 15 year old girl came to Marie Stopes Youth Friendly Centre (MSYFSC), Chitwan, She was requesting for some contraceptive pills. While the counselor asked for the reason, she expressed: "I am in love with my classmate aged 18 and so is he. We used to go out for dating frequently. A month ago, we had ………..and since then I am not having my menstruation. Would you please give me contraceptive pills to regulate my menstruation?"

Gita Siwakoti, a petite young woman with kind eyes and a gentle manner, runs the Youth Information Centre and counsels young people. “It was not that easy initially,” Gita concedes, “Young people used to come to me but they couldn’t say what their problem was. They wanted to discuss it, but they were not sure whether I would be sympathetic and keep their confidences.” Since then, Gita has learned what kinds of questions will help her clients open up and has built a reputation for confidentiality...

“I’ve been transformed into a totally different person” admits Gyanu, a 21-year old peer educator. “As a teenager, I used to think I knew everything and whatever I did was right. I would whistle at women walking by. Making rude comments to girls on their way to school was one of my pastimes. I was of the opinion that women were made to please us men and no matter how well educated, their place was in the kitchen.”