Life skill training for teenage girls

CAM staff have also been able to have regular input in the Prince Royal School, another CCT school in Chiang Mai. In the previous 2 years CAM has facilitated life-skill training camps for female students aged around 14 years, especially for students of relatively wealthy Thai families but who are exhibiting social or behavioural difficulties at school. Part of the camp work involves taking these students to see other people living locally to them who are in much greater need materially, yet able to live well socially. They visit places such as orphanages so that the students can hopefully, alongside the life-skill teaching, can come to a better appreciation of their own family and society whilst at the same time appreciating the reality of life for others less fortunate than them. These camps have led to ongoing friendships, and relationship building across the strata of society.
This year CAM held 5 days of training at the school for girls in B.6 , aged 11-12 years. They were divided into 4 groups of around 30-50 students each day and were taught in imaginative and creative ways about general health care including good nutrition, personal hygiene and self-care, as well as training in prevention and protection from AIDS. These are a vulnerable age group, on the verge of teenage years, so this is an important stage to educate about sexuality and safe behaviours. This age group is at a receptive age for teaching about morals and ethics, and to teach about growing self care responsibilities. Through all the teaching attention is paid to promoting and maintaining language that is both non stigmatizing and non discriminatory when talking about HIV/AIDS. On the fifth day CAM worked with a group of around 100 older teenagers who have formed a Christian union in the school. They received similar teaching and were encouraged to be good role models for their peers. In the future more activities may be continued with this particular group, to raise up a peer group of interested and trained students to advocate for CAM and its ministry outreach to young people.