Training Participants and CHANGE Agents of Forward UK. Photo: © Forward UK.Training sessions for change agents are now finalised and the implementation of Behaviour Change Activities are about to start!

Today, half way through the CHANGE project, around 50 CHANGE agents from different African communities in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK, successfully completed the training course on FGM. The specific training programme was designed to empower the change agents to initiate behaviour change in their communities through independently organised activities.

The training programme contained 12 different modules and covered the following topics:

• Introduction to FGM & Introduction to legal issues
• Sexual Health and Rights
• Choice and Consent
• Communication and Terminology
• Communication skills
• Culture and Tradition
• Religion
• The role of CHANGE Agents in promoting behaviour change
• Safeguarding girls at risk
• Action planning for behaviour change activities

A detailed curriculum of the training programme, jointly developed by TERRE DES FEMMES, Plan International, FSAN, RISK, FORWARDUK and Euronet-FGM will be made available later this year as part of the CHANGE training manual.

Now the CHANGE project is entering into the next phase with the planning and implementation of behaviour change activities. It is intended that each change agent will plan and implement at least three behaviour change activities addressing hard-to-reach groups within his/her community and advocate for changes in attitudes and behaviour towards the abandonment of FGM. The first activities will be implemented in March 2014!