Dating & Relationships

Published on 02 June 2010

OYO is about to embark on a new exciting multi-media project on dating and relationships. Much has been said about HIV, STIs and teenage pregnancy. However, most campaigns fail to address the real issues: young people are sexual beings. As teenagers, they experience changes in their bodies. They start feeling attracted to other people. Peer pressure and media pressure can influence them into starting relationships. Little is understood about the dynamics of such relationships. The older generation thinks the younger generation is promiscuous. The younger generation feels their parents want to prevent them from enjoying their lives. There seems to be a generation gap. OYO therefore decided to look into the issue of dating and relationships.

In order to do so, it has devised a multi-media project:

• One issue of the famous OYO, young, latest and cool magazine will be allocated to the issue of dating. With contributions from young people, it helps us understand why young people engage in relationships, what they expect for such relationships and how they interact with their partners. The issue is currently being prepared and will be published in July.
• In parallel a photo project will be launched. People from different generations will be trained in the basics of photography. They will be given disposable cameras and a task: capturing images that represents dating and relationships for them. This will give us an image of what people consider as dating and relationships. It will more importantly help us assess if there is a difference between the different generations. If there is a generation gap, it will give us a tool to talk about it with the different generations. If there is no generation gap, it will help us reconcile the different generations and open doors for discussion.
• Finally OYO is busy discussing the possibility to devise a new play (to later become a new OYO DVD) on the same theme. It will explore issues young people face when deciding to date – from the first date to the negotiation of the first condom, from discussing the HIV test to dating an older person.

OYO is very excited about this new project. The magazine and photo project will be funded by UNESCO and the Virginio Bruni Tedeschi Foundation while the drama and play are expected to be produced in collaboration with the Legal Assistance Centre. So watch out our website for updates! We will keep you posted.