Cultural and Linguistic Competence Resources and Equity

FACT Project’s WALAN Group Learning and Counseling Model

A community health education session taking place outdoors in what appears to be a rural African setting. A healthcare worker or educator in a white shirt and patterned skirt stands addressing a seated group of approximately 20-25 community members, including women, men, and children. The participants are sitting on the ground in a semi-circle, wearing colorful clothing in various patterns and bright colors including yellow, green, blue, and red. The educator is holding up what appears to be an educational poster or chart. The setting is outdoors with lush green vegetation and trees in the background, and the ground appears to be packed earth. Small wooden stools are visible in the scene. The image accompanies a guide about group learning and counseling on fertility awareness and family planning.

The Fertility Awareness for Community Transformation (FACT) Project’s WALAN Group Learning and Counseling Model is a community-based approach to fertility awareness and family planning education that utilizes trained non-health volunteers to deliver reproductive health services within their own communities. This model employs peer-selected youth facilitators working in male-female pairs to conduct participatory learning sessions on fertility awareness fundamentals, healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies, and family planning options. Originally developed and tested in Northern Uganda as part of the FACT Project, this group-based approach aims to increase family planning acceptance in underserved populations by offering methods that are easy to teach and learn, address concerns about side effects, and ultimately expand reproductive choice and access through community-led education and peer support.

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Tagged: Guides and Planning Tools