RAHI’s Peer Education Program (PEP) is a unique student peer intervention strategy that works with young women on Delhi’s college campuses for the prevention and healing of child sexual abuse.
PEP aims to build resources within the student community for incest/CSA prevention and healing. The Program is designed to effect change at the individual level - increasing students’ knowledge of the subject, modifying their attitudes towards those affected by such abuse, and creating healing resources within the community for student survivors. PEP is also focused on effecting change at the group or societal level, questioning the existing silence, beliefs and perceptions on incest/CSA in the community and stimulating collective student action for its prevention and healing.
We select students in different colleges in Delhi and train them as Peer Educators (PEs) over 1-3 days. Our training gives them a thorough grounding on the issue of child sexual abuse. Students also learn the art of listening to a friend talking about her sexual abuse experiences, how to make presentations and function as a team. The training is rounded off with some practical goal setting and a concrete plan of action.
Once trained our PEs design and lead educational activities for their peers, including young men. They organize debates, poster competitions, theatre events, workshops, book readings, movie shows, and stalls during the college fests. On a more individual level they integrate this into their everyday conversations and act as referral sources for their friends who have been sexually abused.
RAHI’s PEP was launched in October 2004. So far we have trained 84 students from 12 colleges in Delhi as Peer Educators. These PEs have reached out to over 7000 students, both girls and boys, in Delhi.
The PEs held two path-breaking seminars ‘Preventing Incest/CSA: Within Our Reach’ (January 2005) and ‘STOP IT NOW: An Open Message to Child Molesters’ (February 2006). For the first time, survivors from the PE group gave their personal testimonies on camera. These were filmed, edited and presented at the seminar by PEs themselves.
Our PEs are dedicated and courageous young women. They represent the changing face of the young Indian woman who is questioning the existing status of women in India and strives to make the world a better place for women and children.
The PEP is an example of how young women can come together and create a space where personal abuse experiences can be transformed into meaningful social action.
A space for young survivors of Incest and Child Sexual Abuse to be a part of community and take social action. The Youth Firebird Program is designed for just that. For all those young survivors who want to reach out, share, be understood, speak their stories, know that they are not alone, The Firebird is your space.
The Big Freeze: March 26th and 27th saw our Young Firebirds kicking off their campaign with a freeze mob spanning across key spots in Kolkata. Watch the video.
Closing Time: A poignant moment for the Firebirds as they recounted their journey and experiences. There were hugs, there were tears, there were drawings and songs, hellos and goodbyes and looking forward to season 2. We miss you. We love you. See you in the next chapter.
See Me..Know Me.. Heal Me: A workshop when young survivors of incest and CSA met each other for the first time in person and knew that they were not alone and would not ever be, never again. It was a time of deep sharing, of grieving for the lost childhood, honouring what we all did to survive and taking our first few steps into the world of healing and recovery.
If someone trusts you enough to tell you about an incident of sexual abuse, you are in an important position to help the person recover. Here are some suggestions that can help you provide positive support. Remember, sometimes it is important to just listen
If you haven’t been trained to handle any further intervention, you can guide the person to RAHI, a safe space and support for survivors of sexual abuse.
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