The Youth Information fair is an annual educational event in Suriname, with the intention to inform young people (in school or working) and their parents about education, training, entrepreneurship, and assistance/service opportunities for youth. This should enable them to make conscious choices regarding their career planning and personal development. Stichting Jongerenwelzijn has been organizing the Youth Information Fair for more than 20 years since its founding in 1994. This foundation promotes the well-being of Surinamese youth (aged 12 to 25 years) by developing and implementing awareness programs aimed at sustainable education and sustainable entrepreneurship. Annually, the fair is attended by thousands of young people and their parents over the course of a few days. This year the fair aimed to help young people become acquainted with or become aware of: Education, training, and career opportunities; Production capabilities; Opportunities for cultural and creative expression; Existing facilities, assistance, and services for youth at the government or organizations and Young entrepreneurship.
The Youth Advisory Group (YAG) of UNFPA Suriname has participated in the Youth Information Fair for the past four editions. This event presents a valuable opportunity for the YAG to enhance its outreach to the community, particularly the target audience that the group seeks to engage through its advocacy efforts. The YAG focussed on two critical global issues, namely Gender-based violence and Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR) whilst also introducing YAG as an organization to the general public during the event. The YAG educated bystanders on these issues by using interactive and engaging quizzes. The ultimate objective of this initiative was to enhance public awareness and provide relevant information that could help prevent gender-based violence and promote responsible family planning.
In regards to SRHR, YAGees held mini sessions with groups of young people, on important aspects of family planning, such as partner choice, sexual initiation, consent, contraceptive methods and sexuality on social media. They also gave demonstrations on proper condom use. An SRHR quiz was used to gauge the knowledge level of the youth visitors, providing valuable insight into the knowledge gaps that still exist.
The topic of Gender Based Violence was addressed by having small group conversations with guests on gender roles and stigmas that lead to violence. Relevant social issues were used to help the youth conceptualize GBV and the different forms. There was also a GBV quiz to test the visitors' knowledge. The YAG was able to reach a broad range of youth, with groups coming from different rural areas, with parents and teachers also attending. A need was established for more Comprehensive sexuality education in more regions. The data of the quizzes will be used to create action plans to have more awareness and educational campaigns.
