| Abstract: | This paper documents the innovative strategies from seven governmental and nongovernmental organization programs addressing a range of adolescent issues. The collaborative effort of the Population Council and the local counterparts highlight the diversity of adolescent experience and emphasizes the need to look beyond reproductive health in order to ensure girls? safe transition to adulthood. The review suggests that programs need to focus on developing skills that can be applied to all aspects of the lives of adolescent girls, including self-esteem and confidence enhancement and improving their access to information. Moreover, the assessment also showed that the health needs of adolescent girls, especially the married ones, are often unmet. Considering the importance of an integrated approach, some of the programs evaluated were able to provide a strategy by collaborating with existing local services. It is documented that the strong links with the community were invaluable for the success of these integrated programs. Addressing the needs of other family members, particularly the boys are also emphasized. Experience of the program has shown that targeting boys prior to adolescence is a prudent strategy. Similarly, the training program for staff members is crucial in shaping a girl-friendly environment. Finally, the paper emphasizes the importance of crafting new programs that respond to the needs of specific communities and populations. |
