My name is Laura, and I had the pleasure to be part of the Health Buddy Program 2021. Even considering the difficulties due to the pandemic, I have only ended up with a feeling of reward when the program finished. If you are reading this, you might be considering applying for the program that will take place in 2022. Let me tell you about the structure of it last year and my personal experience.
Firstly, it all starts during the training days (back in April 2021)
That weekend we had the chance to know each other, learn about the contents of our future workshops, and even have fun! Not only did we learn about sexuality and sexual rights, but we also grounded ourselves in how to communicate what we had learnt. All topics regarding sex are still taboo, and therefore learning how to talk about it is key to creating a safe and comfortable environment during future workshops.
What happens after the training days?
Then the Health Buddies are ready to advertise and organize their own workshops.
The workshops could be as you feel them to be, as long as in those you are able to provide the information learnt during the training days and that they are focused on people with a migrant background. This opens a range of possibilities! For example, I have done my workshops both with groups of friends and organizations. I would say that having the possibility of organizing the first workshop with people you already know helps to calm the first-time nerves and start exploring what works well and what does not. Besides, it is useful to have some information about how the group that is going to receive the workshop “is”. With some groups, open discussions might work better than power-points based talks, and it is worth bearing that in mind to feel more comfortable during the activity.
Reaching people that agree to participate can be difficult sometimes. However, the Health Buddies are a team whose members are in contact so there are people supporting you during the whole Program. This is personally one of my favourite aspects of the program: the opportunity it gives to meet other people interested in similar topics and at the same time with different backgrounds.
Have I already convinced you?
In conclusion, it means contributing to safer lifestyles and a more compromised society against injustices and misinformation related to sexual health.
If you want to contribute to spreading knowledge about these issues, apply now for Health Buddy Program 2022!