Titled, O3 PLUS (Our rights, Our lives, Our future), the programme seeks to ensure that young people in higher and tertiary education institutions in the two countries realize positive health, education and gender equality outcomes through sustained reductions in new HIV infections, unintended pregnancy and gender-based violence.
The programme will further enable young people to reach their full educational potential and contribute more effectively to the development of their countries and region as graduates, professionals and young leaders.
Working closely with relevant regional structures, national ministries, higher and tertiary education institutions and key partners, the programme will support innovation in accessing life skills based sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health services for students while advocating for policy and practice changes to make campuses safe and inclusive learning environments for students and staff.
The programme will reach directly more than 135,000 students in the two countries and will be implemented between 2021 and 2025 with a budget of US$15 million. These same students will have platforms under the programme to design and come up with innovations that can help improve access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information and services within tertiary institutions. Students whose innovations stand out of competition and have potential for up scaling will be rewarded.
Launching the programme in Harare, University of Zimbabwe Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Charles Mbohwa, said the programme will improve the health and wellbeing of students in higher and tertiary institutions while engaging leadership for long term health commitments in colleges.
“The support will go a long way in strengthening the capacity of health facilities and standard packages of youth friendly health services for our colleges. It also dovetails with the National Development Strategy 1 crafted by the Government of Zimbabwe. Young persons you need constant guidance so that you can safely transit to responsible adulthood. As an institution we shall remain grateful to Switzerland and other partners for this noble initiative to protect the lives of young people,” he said.
The Regional Director for UNESCO, Professor Hubert Gijzen, said that the O3 PLUS programme is an innovation that will empower young people to be change agents in their communities, countries and the region. He warned that there are strong forces that have emerged which are working negatively and against our efforts to train and empower the youth to be formidable, future workforce for our society.
“These emerging challenges include rising incidences of HIV/AIDS, unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, gender based violence, alcohol, drug and substance abuse and mental health issues among others. Unfortunately, we have witnessed the lives of some of young, brilliant and promising minds ruined, destroyed or even lost and education curtailed as a result of the these challenges,” he cautioned.
Honourable Douglas Syakalima, Minister of Education in Zambia, said higher and tertiary institutions are home to a large number of sexually active young adults who are vulnerable to sexual and reproductive health-related concerns and risks.
“They get into new relationships, have new responsibilities and experiences on their own and in unfamiliar settings,” he said.
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Regional Director, Mr. Manuel Thurnhofer, urged the students to embrace the project saying it will have a positive impact on their lives.
“We live in a context were access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for young people is still a challenge. At SDC we seek to implement programmes that tackle these problems and help boost HIV prevention and access to SRHR and help develop new health policies that help young people improve their knowledge levels.”
“With this project, we are eager to make the first step in meeting the SRHR needs of almost 600’000 young adults who attend tertiary institutions across Zambia and Zimbabwe. While some tertiary institutions offer SRHR services they struggle with dilapidated and inadequate infrastructure, commodities shortages and unclear protocols. The situation has been made worse by COVID-19. O3 plus will address some these challenges through the life cycle approach,” said Mr. Thurnhofer.
Guest of Honour at the launch, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Public Service and Social Welfare, Honourable Professor Paul Mavima, said the programme result in productive educated and healthy young people who will contribute to the social economic development of our community and the nation at large said Professor Mavima.
“I wish to remind all our students that you are the future of our society. The position you hold in society is crucial. The reality of the matter is that when someone gets to this level of education a lot of resources would have been invested and thus safeguarding young people through SRHR programmes is very important.”
“The whole idea of the demographic dividend derives from good health and education and thus if it is protected then you are assured of a positive future. The O3 PLUS programme is also expected to promote inclusiveness for marginalised populations. The NDS introduced in Zimbabwe will only be achieved with a healthy population.”
The Ubuntu approach should be part of the O3 PLUS approach. Zimbabwe’s important resource is its people and thus we should protect the gains which are being threatened by drug abuse and SRHR issues,” said Professor Mavima.
The other donors in the programme include Sweden, France, Norway and Ireland. The O3 PLUS programme builds on and extends current 03 programme efforts by UNESCO to improve sexual and reproductive health as well as gender and education outcomes for adolescents and young people. Other countries where the programme is implemented include Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.
