Foundation sensitizes young people on sexual health

L-R: Miss LASU 2017, Sophie Akitoye Joseph, Project Founder, Lisa Demi and Project Coordinator, Ismael Odulana at the Press Briefing.

To avoid  young people getting exposed to sex education through a wrong medium with its damning consequences, a new non-governmental organization known as Lisa Demi Project is set to stem the tide through its enlightenment programmes in Lagos.

Briefing the press in Lagos on Wednesday, the founder of the project, Lisa Demi, a London-based Biomedical Science graduate said the programme which  kick-off Thursday is titled: ’Let’s Talk About Our Sexual Health.’

Worried by the attitude of Nigerians towards young people while accessing sexual help in the clinics, she said a young person can walk into the clinic in London to do one or two things contrary to what obtains in Nigeria where youths cannot walk into a clinic to openly discuss their needs. She therefore feels there is need for sensitization as a way of giving back to the society.

 According to Demi, the aim of the project is to create a social reengineering network that can change the age long deficit for the sake of young people concerning their sexual lives through social engagements.

“The Lisa Demi Project relies heavily on education, enlightenment garnished in entertainment to achieve the right approach to living a fulfilling life as a young person by avoiding the pitfalls in the sexual lives of young people,” she said.

She said the concept is a variety programme pivoted on engaging discussions, music and drama with the aim of enlightening young people and encouraging them to take affirmative action against the menaces rocking the youth.

Demi further maintained that there is need for education on testing for young people on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and councelling against stigmatization for victims of HIV/AIDS.

Also speaking, the project coordinator, Ismael Odulana, said the project was inspired by the incidence that the founder saw the last time she was in Africa.

“She got worried that so many young people are getting involved in sexual activities without actually knowing exactly what it entails.

“We have so much in the information network than we can’t control especially with the continuous shrinking of the global village. You can hardly stop somebody from accessing the internet most especially in Nigeria where we don’t have the technology to manage it. So, instead of stopping them from using the internet, why don’t we educate and enlighten them to use it properly and that’s what Lisa Demi project is all about.

“We tend to go into schools, form clubs in schools most especially secondary schools in Lagos State and on the long run extend to other parts of the country.

“So before next year, we will be having programme in smaller scheme in other part of the world, most especially in Ghana and other West African countries,” Odulana said.