What We Do: Health and Sex Education
Why Sex and Health Education is Important
The Impact of AIDS of Sub-Saharan Africa
An estimated 22.5 million people are living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2009, approximately 1.3 million people died from AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, 14.8 million children have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. (1)
In Ghana, an estimated 260,000 people are living with AIDS. In Kenya, an estimated 1.5 million people are living with HIV, and in 2009, 80,000 people died in Kenya from AIDS-related illnesses. Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, 1.2 million children have been orphaned by AIDS in Kenya. (2)
HIV prevalence in Kenya peaked during 2000, and has dramatically reduced to 6.3% of the total population recent years. (3) This decline is thought to be partially due to an increase in education and awareness, and high death rates. (4)
Sub-Saharan Africa faces many challenges in the battle against AIDS: to provide health care and antiretroviral treatment to a growing population infected with the HIV virus, to educate and thereby reduce the number of new HIV infections, and to cope with millions of children orphaned by AIDS.
Teenage Pregnancy
The highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the world — 143 per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19 years — is in Sub-Saharan Africa. (5) Teenage pregnancy can hinder a young girl's training and professional career, as most girls will drop out of school to care for their child. Educating girls and boys on sexual responsibility and prevention of disease is critical in reducing the cycle of early pregnancy and school dropouts.
How Orphans’ Heroes is Making a Difference
Toward the end of 2010 and into 2011, Orphans’ Heroes held its first sex education class at the Hohoe Orphanage in Hohoe, Ghana. Lead by Youth Pastor Hillary Barnard of Dallas, TX, the workshop included many fun and interactive games to promote discussion. Children were eager for the knowledge, asked thoughtful questions, and actively participated in the exercises and discussions. At the end of the class, children openly thanked the teachers for empowering them with the knowledge about how boys’ and girls’ bodies are different, and for teaching them about significant issues like menstruation, pregnancy, birth control, prevention of disease, hormones, and sexual responsibility. The class was a huge success.
Orphans’ Heroes will be building on this success by using this class as a model and bringing it to many more communities. We plan to be offering the class in Shihalia, Kenya this year.
1.UNAIDS (2010) 'UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic'
2.UNAIDS (2010) 'UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic'
3.UNGASS (2008) ‘Country progress report – Kenya’
4.UNGASS (2008) ‘Country progress report – Kenya’
5.^ Treffers, P.E. (November 22, 2003). Teenage pregnancy, a worldwide problem. Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde, 147(47), 2320-5. Retrieved July 7, 2006.
What We Do
Orphans' Heroes is a 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions to Orphans' Heroes are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.
P.O. Box 333 | Bedford Hills, NY 10507 | 914.234.4100
© 2009 ORPHANS HEROES | PRIVACY POLICY
Health & Sex Education
