How is the Initiative reaching young people in Nepal?
It started with a radio program designed especially for young people, called “Chatting with My Best Friend.” The idea of creating a “best friend” for young people comes from the analysis of the major relationships that dominate an adolescent’s life: parents, peers and love. The programme, which speaks to the listeners as a non-judgmental peer, attracts a growing following among young people. From the hundreds of letters we receive each week, we also realize that many young people have taken the initiative to set up their own “listeners’ groups.” We are now planning to use the life skills booklets and photo novellas we have created to stimulate peer education in non-formal settings, promote discussions in listeners’ groups, child clubs, and youth networks around the country. Q. How will it expand to reach even more young people? We would like to integrate life skills education into existing UNICEF programmes, such as health and education. For example, village facilitators and community
