The Social Development Centre (Nama), in co-operation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has held an expert meeting to prepare a Peer Education Manual in Qatar in the presence of representatives from the two organisations.
Nama is one of the centres operating under the umbrella of Qatar Foundation for Social Work.
In a statement, Nama said it has signed a co-operation protocol with UNFPA focusing on three main outputs: conducting a study to survey, document and analyse data on the status of youth, youth policies, projects and actors involved in youth projects; designing a national curriculum to enhance life skills and citizenship; and designing a national curriculum for peer education in Qatar.
The Peer Education Network is the third output of the co-operation protocol.
It is an international network, an innovative youth-to-youth initiative supervised by UNFPA.
The aims of the expert meeting on the preparation of a Peer Education Manual in Qatar were to introduce and prioritise the Peer Education Initiative in the country; present and discuss the first draft of the Peer Education Manual; and develop the work programme and format of the training workshop for peer educators in Qatar.
Maryam al-Mannai, director of Community Services at the Social Development Centre, said within the framework of co-operation between Nama and UNFPA, the first draft of the Peer Education Manual in Qatar was prepared based on international and regional experiences and in line with the values and needs of the Qatari community.
Al-Mannai noted that the Peer Education Network project is one of the main pillars that contribute to the empowerment of young people through the development of their knowledge and the promotion of positive behaviours.
The project aims to train and prepare youth peers so as to make them responsible for their health and its protection; it is based on effective learning that requires meeting their needs, those of others and society.
This project responds to the requirements of Qatar National Vision 2030.
Al-Mannai added that Nama’s 2017-2022 strategy aims at promoting qualitative development and investing the creative energies of young pioneers, fueling their ambitions and aspirations and developing their abilities through a set of carefully selected programmes to create a generation with the skills that enable it to interact with the issues and needs of the community.
Related Story