The UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science, Innovation and Technology Development will be hosting a one day virtual meeting for validating findings from the Baseline Study and Health Facility Assessment (HFA) reports, under the Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future Plus (O3 Plus) initiative.
The workshop is aimed to validate the preliminary study results and findings, so that the study reports can be finalized subsequent to the workshop. In addition to ministry and other national level stakeholders, the meeting will bring by at least three representatives from each of the participating 12 Higher and Tertiary Institutions namely Dean of Student Affairs, Principal or Vice Principal, Health and Life Skills Programme Coordinator and 1 Student Representative conversant with student health and wellbeing issues. The workshop may also bring the following benefits:
- HTEIs stakeholders would deepen their understanding of student welfare and wellbeing issues;
- the study results will serve as fundamental baseline for monitoring the implementation of the O3 Plus project in these institutions; and
- provide participants an opportunity to discuss and rationalize project implementation modalities.
Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3 Plus) project seeks to ensure that young people in higher and tertiary education institutions (HTEIs) in Zambia and Zimbabwe realize positive health, education and gender equality outcomes through sustained reductions in new HIV infections, unintended pregnancy and sexual and gender-based violence. The project will thus enable them to reach their full educational potential and contribute more effectively to the development of their countries and region as graduates, professionals and young leaders.
The work will be delivered through four complementary pillars or work streams as follows: institutional strengthening for sustainability; student health and well-being; safe and inclusive campus environments; and evidence building and knowledge sharing platform. In Zimbabwe, the project will be implemented across 12 HTEIs, paired into 6 clusters.