Item 1: Description of Project
Project /Research Title
Sex Education as a Remedy to Teenage Pregnancy in Mahama Refugee Camp
in Rwanda
Motivation to conduct the research/launch project.
Due to armed conflict or political unrest, 6.6 million young people worldwide are internally
displaced, with a sizable portion of this population living in Africa. In addition, the experiences
indicate that 90% of the young people in this group struggle with challenging circumstances,
poverty, and a lack of opportunities. Young girls' pregnancy is one of the most critical health
challenges affecting this extinct group. Girls in refugee camps are more likely to become pregnant
unintentionally (Okanlawon, Reeves, & Agbaje, 2016). The refugee population's potential is
harmed by the deteriorating living conditions in the camps and the frequent usage of the
foundations as prisons for undesirables. This unfavorable outcome results from several variables,
including extreme poverty, a lack of market opportunities, and refugee resumption. With 25% of
female refugees in reproductive years at risk of getting pregnant at any given time, teen pregnancy
may be a significant issue for many refugees (Laurie & Petchesky, 2017). It emphasizes the
importance of focusing on unplanned and unwelcome pregnancies among adolescent migrants.
Due to that information, I have decided to learn more about it. Plan how I may assist the Mahama
Refugee Camp in resolving that issue.
The problem studied (Research) / The problem is solved with your product (Product).
By 2025, I want to reduce teen pregnancies among girls in the Mahama refugee camp in Rwanda
to less than 18-year-olds. They are promoting sex education and educating young people about the
meaning and importance of love to address the main reasons for teenage pregnancy in the Mahama
Refugee Camp. All young people living in the camps for internally displaced people in Mahama
will be equipped with knowledge of the purpose and meaning of love and sex education.
They will receive adequate, relevant sex education. Since many teenagers believe that being in
love with someone means having sex with them, my effort will educate the young about the
definition and reasons for love. As we all know, love is global. I will teach them self-control
techniques and get them ready for almost falling in love. Problems with teenage pregnancy cause
the majority of adolescent dropouts. Since other high schools in that town do not attend school, I
will work with the school near Mahama Outcast Camp and the community.
Since parents are more familiar with their children, I will try to speak with them, giving them
advice when they notice that their kids are in love and attempting to teach them what love is. That
will help the kids get it from their parents and lessen why teenagers get pregnant. In response to
the demand for sex education, my project will help the high school encourage knowledge about
adolescent pregnancies through various training and reach out to the children in the neighborhood
and at school. In my research, I discovered that although other non-governmental organizations
fight this problem, it is still getting worse because many high schools do not dedicate enough time
to preparing students for abilities like almost-sex education. My efforts will be directed toward
educating all teenagers and their parents about the value of sex education. These groups make an
effort to coordinate high school pregnancy training. These teenagers, however, are not present at
the preparation. I discovered that many young people are unaware of the need for sex education.
Objectives
My Mission is to enable all teenagers in the Mahama refugee camp to receive sex education,
meaning, and the purpose of love. Teens can develop the knowledge and skills they need to make
the best decisions for themselves regarding sex and relationships throughout their lives by learning
about the meaning and purpose of love and by teaching them about sex education. Equips young
people with the knowledge and abilities necessary for long-term sexual health. They learn how to
appreciate themselves for who they are, have healthy relationships, make educated sexual
decisions, think critically about the world, and be good allies to others who are marginalized. My
objectives revolve around teaching all the young people at the Mahama refugee camp about sex
and the meaning and purpose of love. As the leading cause of the problem in the Mahama refugee
camp, all teenagers will have access to the skills.
Product only: A description of your product
By 2025, I want to reduce teen pregnancy among females living in Rwanda's Mahama refugee
camp to fewer than 18 years old. By assisting in and promoting sex education for teens regarding
the nature and purpose of love, one can alleviate teenage issues and encourage sex education for
both the young and their parents. All young people living in the camps for displaced people in
Mahama will be equipped with knowledge of the purpose and meaning of love and sex education
aptitudes. They will receive adequate, relevant sex education. Teenagers tend to believe that being
in love with someone means having sex with them; therefore, my goal is to educate the young
about love and why it exists. As we all know, love is universal.
I will teach them self-control techniques and get them ready for almost falling in love. Most
teenagers struggle with love while they are in school. Since other high schools in that town do not
attend school, I will work with the school near Mahama Outcast Camp and the community. Since
parents are more familiar with their children, I will try to speak with them, giving them advice
when they notice that their kids are in love and attempting to teach them what love is. That will
help the kids get it from their parents and reduce why teenagers get pregnant.
My project will help the high school, under the requirement for sex education, by urging aptitude
about adolescent pregnancy through various training and reaching out to the children in the
neighborhood and at school. In my investigation, I discovered that although other nongovernmental organizations fight this problem, it is still getting worse because many high schools
do not devote enough time to educating students about same-sex issues. In my extended effort, I
will try to educate all teenagers and their parents on the value of sex education. These groups make
an effort to plan the training for high school pregnancies.
These teenagers, however, are not present at the preparation. I discovered that many young people
are unaware of the need for sex education. Parents and community leaders will provide more to
my project because they will help me persuade the teens to attend the sex education class,
increasing their contribution. More sex education will be provided to all youths in the community
as parents and community leaders recognize the significance of these sessions and encourage the
youth to attend. Schools and teenagers are more vital since they spend more time in school and
work with school administrators. Teenagers benefit more from services that are more readily
available and affordable. Sex education equips young people with the skills and knowledge to
maintain a healthy sexual lifestyle.
Method of Data Collection/Prototyping Process
I had the first and second live prototypes in the Mahama refugee camp.
I was in the Mahama Refugee Camp for the prototype. I met and spoke with teenagers, community
leaders, and parents in the Mahama refugee camps. I asked the civic leader to invite these teenagers
over by calling them. I started my objective and the issues I wanted to address once I arrived. I
enjoyed talking to the teenage girls and obtaining their opinions. We took the time to get to know
one another, share our views, and give them space to do the same. I also told them about my
Mission. They questioned me about their concern over sex education and agreed that adolescent
love primarily contributes to teen pregnancies. I tried to explain the impacts of love on teenagers
further, and most of them understood and informed me that some of them were in love with other
teenage males before changing their minds and vowing not to fall in love again until they were
required to get married.
In the Mahama Refugee Camp, I had the second live prototype and received more feedback from
the teenagers, parents, and local authorities. On the second prototype, I met with teens to discuss
sex education and explain love's meaning and purpose. Because the teens I met on the prototype
were so interested, they encouraged others to attend my second prototype, where I could talk with
a large group of them. Leaders from the community and the parents and I met.
Nevertheless, they highlighted a few critical points throughout the interview and in-person
encounter. Most community leaders think the solution I proposed in time is valuable and feasible
for addressing the problem of teen pregnancies in refugee camps.
A solution in my Mission is to work to end teen pregnancies in camps among five community
leaders. They are based on my responses from local authorities regarding my solutions. 90%
agreed with my idea and recommended that I add something to my Mission, like teaching
psychology and self-esteem-related courses. Teenagers generally pass through and believe that
being refugees implies they have no future since they believe there is no better future for them due
to their suffering. Therefore, they asserted that it is essential to incorporate those lessons into
teaching sex education.
Include the interview questionnaire, etc., as an Appendix
1. After listening to my Mission, what comes to your mind? Do you think my Mission can tackle
the issue sustainably?
2. What can I do better to address the issues sustainably?
3. What can the community do better to support my Mission?
4. In what ways do you help the Mission to succeed?
5. Do you have any suggestions about my Mission to be included in the Mission and applicable?
6. To what extent can my Mission handle the issue, depending on what you thought after reviewing
my Mission?
Participants, Interviewees
Teenagers
Teenagers, concurred with me that my proposed solution would help to resolve the problem, and
they urged me to ensure that all of my target audiences would have access to education.
Community leaders
Based on the opinions of local authorities on my solutions. 90% of them agreed with my solution
and suggested I add something to my Mission, like teaching psychology and self-esteem-related
courses. Since most teenagers believe they have no better future due to their struggles and believe
that being refugees means they have no future. Therefore, they claimed that it is essential to
incorporate those lessons within sex education sessions.
Parents
They acknowledge my assistance to refugees and show how I will connect with my target
audiences by engaging with local authorities and other non-governmental groups tackling the same
problem. They suggested that I focus more on knowledgeable individuals who can help me give a
sound education to my target audience as I dive more into my project.
Discoveries/Result
I decided to modify it by adding the session on self-awareness and explaining to the kids that being
a refugee does not mean that there is no future. Most of them believe that they are refugees after
obtaining much input from many participants on the prototype process, working in the community
and at the school, because most teenagers spend much time there. Moreover, collaborating with
the institution will help me connect with all my target audiences.
Conclusion/Recommendations
In conclusion, adolescent pregnancy is a problem in the Rwandan refugee camp of Mahama. By
improving sex education and teaching high school students what love means, my initiative must
solve that problem. In addition, since most kids believe they are refugees, it would be beneficial
to include a session on self-awareness and explain to them that being a refugee does not imply they
have no future. I work in the community and at the school because most teenagers spend much
time there, and collaborating with the institution will help me connect with all my target audiences.
The Mahama refugee camp's adolescent pregnancy problem will be resolved if my project is
affordable and available to all my target audiences.
Item 2: Annotated Self Assessment and Mission Manifesto
Title of Research/Project
Sex Education as a Remedy to Teenage Pregnancy in Mahama Refugee Camp in Rwanda
Mission Description
By 2025, I want to reduce teen pregnancy among females living in Rwanda's Mahama refugee
camp to fewer than 18 years old. By assisting in and promoting sex education for teens regarding
the nature and purpose of love, one can alleviate teenage issues and encourage sex education for
both the young and their parents. All young people living in the camps for internally displaced
people in Mahama will be equipped with knowledge of the purpose and meaning of love and sex
education aptitudes.
They will receive adequate, relevant sex education. Teenagers tend to believe that being in love
with someone means having sex with them. Therefore, I aim to educate the young about love and
its existence. As we all know, love is universal. I will teach them self-control techniques and get
them ready for almost falling in love. Most teenagers struggle with love when they are in school.
Since other high schools in that town do not attend school, I will work with the school near
Mahama Outcast Camp and the community.
Since parents are more familiar with their children, I will try to speak with them, giving them
advice when they notice that their kids are in love and attempting to teach them what love is. That
will help the kids get it from their parents and lessen why teenagers get pregnant.
Your Strength ( Explain how these strengths have helped you in your mission journey so far)
I am establishing a Free Environment and creating a good relationship. To teach youngsters about
sex and explain the meaning and purpose of love to my target audiences, I will build a good
environment where all stakeholders will participate in the project. To manage the risks I will
encounter during the project, I will be able to reduce any issues that could harm it. As you are
aware, it can be challenging to educate teenagers. I will be able to control any risks that could
prevent all teenagers from accessing sex education.
I am observing and Asking Questions That will aid in my understanding of my stakeholders'
viewpoints. Understanding others' ideas will be helpful because we will be working together. The
kids will ask many questions during the session, so listening to them and responding appropriately
will allow me to deliver sex education effectively.
Goal-oriented; focused on achieving a particular goal or completing a particular job; motivated by
a purpose; as my goal is to encourage sex education, I want to reduce teenage pregnancies. I will
be concentrating on the objective of how I will approach my assignment to make it successful.
Team-building I intend to have a capable team by my side as I deliver sex education skills. A
strong team and cooperative teamwork will be beneficial to deliver the program. Having a staff of
experts in sex education will aid me in educating teenagers.
I may convey to them the project goals I need to deliver and the project-related abilities I will need
to succeed with the help of knowledge transfer.
Your weaknesses ( Write about factors you feel contributed to these weaknesses and what
you currently do to address them)
Lack of confidence. As my purpose is related to refugees, I was unsure of how I would be able to
connect with the people who live in refugee camps. I was also unsure of how I would begin a
conversation with them. At the beginning of the project, I was unsure how I would connect with
my target audiences. Since migrants have so many issues, I find it challenging to communicate
with them. However, during the prototype phase, I could connect with them by looking up the
contacts of the local leaders and beginning to talk with them about how I would meet with the
teenagers. Fortunately, the local authorities supported me and allowed me to attend and explain
my goal to the teenagers.
I was nervous and thinking about how I would begin the project. I wanted to help address the
problem of teen pregnancy in Rwandan refugee camps because it has a detrimental impact on
young people. However, I was concerned that because refugees are already dealing with other
problems like poverty and disease, they would not have time to talk to me about sex education.
Other non-governmental organizations are working on sex education, yet I feel like the problem is
still getting worse. Moreover, I was thinking, "What can I do to fix this problem while others are
working on it, yet the problem is continuously getting worse?"However, I did my best to find a
method to meet with them and explain how the problem negatively affected them. I researched
how and what other organizations are doing to address the issue. I discovered that while some
organizations focus on sex education, they are not concerned with the causes of teenage pregnancy.
So, I decided to include the meaning and purpose of love for teenagers in the discussion.
Time is having trouble meeting with the stakeholders and target audiences. At first, meeting with
parents, youth, and community leaders was challenging. They agreed to meet with me but
sometimes changed their minds and scheduled a different time. Nevertheless, I made every effort
to be available when they said they would, and when they were not, I tried to wait patiently until
they were. However, I did my best to interact with them as much as possible during the prototyping
phase. As a result, we are cooperating and communicating effectively with them.
I wondered how much money I would need to finish the job. To finish the project, I will require a
lot of money for many purposes. However, I am attempting to apply for money right now. I would
prefer to finish my project once I have funding.
Your goals (Write about what you want to accomplish in the future with your Mission and
how your traits and experiences in global challenges will help you achieve them.)
There is no teenage pregnancy issue in Rwandan refugee camps. Through encouraging sex
education and explaining the nature of love to teenagers. The teens are given knowledge and skills
to support them through sex education and the meaning and purpose of love. It inspires young
people to make wise and well-informed health decisions. Moreover, to improve the lives of young
girls in Rwandan refugee camps by eliminating the problem of teen pregnancy, all of the
detrimental repercussions of teenage pregnancy, such as school dropout, will spread more quickly
the more sex education is spread. In summary, my goals are to positively affect girls living in
Rwandan refugee camps by eradicating teenage pregnancy among girls in Rwandan refugee camps
through the promotion of sex education and by educating teens about the
The significance of love, which is one of the leading causes of teenage pregnancy in Rwandan
refugee camps.
My characteristics include openness and diligence. I enjoy learning new things, am committed to
taking on challenges, have clear goals, make detailed plans, consider how my actions influence
others, invest time in preparation, and do crucial activities properly. That will enable me to
accomplish my objectives and carry out my Mission.
A stronger sense of self-awareness and comprehension of my purpose. Interests, abilities, and the
ability to express and design my mission statements are some things I have learned through my
experiences with global difficulties that will allow me to complete my Mission—project
management. I gained additional knowledge about project proposals, impact evaluation, and
stakeholder analysis in research reports. I gained a better knowledge of the prototyping process
and feedback from this project prototype. Moreover, I gained more knowledge about the project's
development during project implementation. Global difficulties are the main methods that my
Mission is currently being carried out, and I will continue to use the abilities I acquired there to
finish my project.
Item 3: Reflections:
A reflective essay summarizes your experience throughout your Research or Product Development
journey, from the first mission declaration to your most recent capstone internship.
After signing up for Global Challenges, I considered my goal, the seven global challenges, and
what I want to contribute. My interest in healthcare was strong. I have started to explore it since
deciding on healthcare because the problems are in the healthcare industry, and people are more
affected by them. After researching, I concluded that teenage pregnancies affect young people
more adversely than other issues and that Rwandan refugee camps. Particularly, Mahama, where
refugees from Burundi and the Congo reside, is where this problem is more prevalent than in other
places.
After identifying the issues, the location, and the target audiences, I began to explore the problem,
gathered more knowledge, and considered how I could help resolve it. As a result, I have begun to
study project planning and how I will begin my goal after learning about git skills for mission
planning. Planning for the project has already begun. Commenced work on my Mission and the
drafting of my mission statement.
It has been a long trip from the mission statement to the capstone internship. I have gained more
project planning, research reports, stakeholder analysis, project evaluation, project execution, and
project report experience along the way. In addition to conducting research, I have been working
on my project's planning, evaluation, implementation, and prototype phases. When I met with my
target audiences and stakeholders to discuss my project in further detail and to get their opinions,
I learned more about the prototype process. I then refined my Mission in light of the feedback I
received from the people. On this journey, I have picked up various exciting skills, and my
capstone internship was where I spent the most time working on my project and learning more
about where I could grow. In conclusion, I learned more about it from the start of my project until
the capstone internship.
References
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from UNFPA Rwanda website: https://rwanda.unfpa.org/en/news/empowering-refugeeadolescents-fulfil-their-potential
Urindwanayo, D., & Richter, S. (2020). Teenage Pregnancy in Refugee Camps: A Narrative
Synthesis. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 21(1), 255–270. Retrieved from
https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2224&context=jiw
DUring wanayo and S. Richter (2020). A Narrative Synthesis of Teenage Pregnancy in Refugee
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21(1),
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https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2224&context=jiws (n.d.).
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They are a shame to the community... " stigma, school attendance, solitude, and resilience among
pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers in Mahama refugee camp, Rwanda,' Ruzibiza, Y. (2020).
2016. UNHCR. UNHCR Rwanda: Mahama Is Now A Safe Haven For Over 50,000 Burundian
Refugees [online] https://www.unhcr.org/rw/559-559.html> [Accessed September 17, 2020].
2017 UNHCR RWANDA Participatory Assessment
content/uploads/sites/4/2018/01/PA-2017-REPORT.pdf.
https://www.unhcr.org/rw/wp-