The Safeguard Young People Programme

In 2013, we developed the Safeguard Young People (SYP) Programme with the intention of scaling up comprehensive interventions for adolescents and young people in Southern Africa through a multi-sectoral approach, touching on policy, integrated HIV and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, sexuality education for in- and out-of-school youth as well as youth empowerment.

SYP empowers adolescents and young people aged 10 to 24 years (with special focus on adolescent girls) to protect themselves from STIs including HIV, early and unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion, early marriage, gender-based violence and harmful cultural practices, while promoting gender-equitable norms.

The first phase of the programme, which ended in December 2016, included the following key activities:

• Developing multi-year national operational plans aligned to the regional proposal;
• Conducting a baseline study and many focused assessments;
• Capacity building for implementing partners;
• Developing/adapting programme educational packages;
• Identification and scaling up of best and promising practices.

This phase was funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), UNFPA Supplies (formerly Global Programme on Reproductive Health Commodity Security) and the UNFPA/UNAIDS-implemented SRH and HIV Linkages Project, co-funded by the European Union and the Swedish International Development Agency.

The second phase began in 2017 and ended 2019. It  buildt on the achievements of the first three years of implementation and supported the scaling up of interventions that improved adolescents and young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights through harmonization of laws and policies, integration of comprehensive sexuality education and/or social behaviour change communication (SBCC) programmes for in- and out-of-school adolescents and youth, and institutionalization of youth-friendly health services. It also addressed harmful practices, gender-based violence, gender inequality, boys’ involvement and youth participation.

SYP is currently in its  third phase (2020-2022). In 2021 the programme saw its expansion into four new countries through the generous Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands (EKN). 

The SDC is funding the programme expansion into Rwanda, Tanzania and Mozambique until 2023. The EKN will provide funding for the SYP programme in Angola and Mozambique until 2026.These expansions reflect the positive impact that the SYP programme is having on young people’s health and rights, and on their lives and livelihoods, through successful partnerships, creative strategies and dynamic programming within the region and in the implementing countries.