AFTER NUSA DUA WORKSHOPBali Children’s Project has received a second one-year grant for educating Bali’s children in Sex Education/HIV&AIDS from the Mel Wolf Foundation.

The grant of US$15,000 will allow Bali Children’s Project to continue and expand its program of educating Bali’s youth about the sometime-taboo subjects of HIV/AIDS and sex education.

Teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise in Bali, fueled by a boom in teenage population and little education regarding sex.

INTROSPECTION EXERCISE SINGARAJAWith no formal sex education in the current school curriculum, youngsters are left poorly armed to deal with such issues. The initiative led by the Bali Children’s Project focuses on children of age 15 years and above.

This is the fourth year for Bali Children’s Project’s Sex Ed/HIV workshops.

The targeted number of students to receive training this year is 2,400.  Aiming to spread their education over the widest possible area, the Project will visit 5 schools each in 8 regencies in Bali. At each schools a maximum of 60 students undergo training.  In order to maximize the impact of the program, the students who receive training are then urged to become student teachers in order to pass on their knowledge to classmates, with help from their teachers and BCP training materials.

TEACHING SMALL GROUPSIn the villages where each of the schools is located, parent workshops are also held in the evenings. These workshops for 30 parents each, with 2 workshops per village area, result in a targeted 480 parents better equipped for informed and meaningful dialogue on sexual development issues with their offspring.

Equipped with fun videos, entertaining staff and a serious message – the Bali Children’s Project team is linking to schools all over Bali to deliver their message of safe sex. As the HIV rates rises among youth in Bali, the need for education also increases.

‘Without being informed about sexual education, it is difficult for youngsters to understand these issues. We want to give young people the power to make their own decisions in life,” Linda Venter, director of Bali Children’s Project commented. ‘We thank The Mel Wolf Foundation for the funding that means we can continue the program in 2015’.