Lernagog School Children Advocate Tobacco Free Environment

June 24, 2008 Lernagog, Armavir District - Following international No Tobacco Day celebrated worldwide on May 31, the community of Lernagog recently hosted an event in the premises of a newly renovated village school, advocating tobacco free environment in the community and throughout the region. Lernagog is one of six villages included in Comprehensive Rural Development Program, initiated and implemented by the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) since early 2006. Other communities constituting COAF’s Model Cluster include Argina, Dalarik, Karakert, Miasnikian and Shenik.

The event was organized by the members of the local Youth Club on Healthy Lifestyle in close cooperation with COAF health education team. Through the mentioned club, which makes part of a chain of 30 clubs operating in four villages of the Model Cluster and one neighboring Hushakert, the local youth acquires knowledge and builds capacity on disease prevention, healthy nutrition, physical activities and healthy behavior. Other clubs focus on such areas of development as agribusiness, civic education, ecology, logics and journalism/public relations. The project is being implemented within the framework of Creation and Development of Youth Clubs, implemented in close partnership with Heifer International.

The participants and organizers built the first part of the event on question and answer scheme, discussing and covering smoking and non-smoking issues, accompanied by illustrative slides on the damages caused by active and passive smoking, and presenting some statistics on smokers throughout Armenia. As Karine Tonoyan, Head of Youth Club on Healthy Lifestyle and Lernagog School Biology Teacher noted, “This event and a number of others that we are regularly organizing is always a great tool in raising awareness and taking responsibility towards health issues among children, youth and adults. And from one event to another we get more and more enthusiastic, as we find the necessary support from our friends from COAF”.

The second part of the event was dedicated to the performance, played by the Lernagog schoolchildren themselves, with the goal of advocating tobacco-free environment and conducting healthy lifestyle among youth and adults. Anti-smoking commercials and ads, as well as recommendations towards quitting smoking were widely used and advocated. Of special importance were the stage decorations, which symbolized the Universe, divided into two parts – smokers and non-smokers. The guests and the local community could witness that the part engaging non-smokers was blossoming with flowers and flourishing with sunshine, thus promising a bright future and prosperity for its inhabitants. Meanwhile the opposite camp remained uninhabited, with its grey and gloomy colors, arousing sadness and bore and repelling the people to a brighter part of the Universe.

For the past two years, apart from classes on healthy lifestyle conducted in Lernagog and other five villages of the Model Cluster, COAF community health education program additionally included trainings and workshops on first aid, prevention of infectious diseases, management of chronic health problems, prenatal care, child care, cervical and breast cancer prevention, family planning, sexually transmitted diseases, and family violence.

CONTACTS: Samantha Wagar, (212) 994-8212; or e-mail info@coafkids.org