Participating in the Change Challenge has been a deeply eye-opening and transformative experience. Working with out-of-school girls in Oyo State has expanded my understanding of health inequities, strengthened my leadership capacity, and reshaped how I approach community-based interventions.
Through this journey, my growth can be reflected across four key areas: People, Learning, Adaptation, and Nurturing.
People: Understanding Vulnerable Populations
The population we are working with consists of out-of-school girls — a particularly hard-to-reach and vulnerable group. These girls often face multiple layers of social and economic exclusion, which significantly limits their access to accurate health information and essential services.
Our research identified that Oyo State has both one of the highest populations of out-of-school girls and a high prevalence of cervical cancer cases in the region. This intersection makes it a critical area for intervention, particularly in promoting HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention.
Through this experience, I learned that working with marginalized populations requires more than just providing services — it requires understanding their lived realities, listening to their voices, and designing interventions that meet them where they are.
Learning: Confronting Misconceptions and Expanding Perspective
One of the most powerful lessons I gained was recognizing how deeply misinformation shapes health behavior.
We encountered widespread misconceptions about the HPV vaccine. A particularly common myth is that vaccinating young girls against HPV promotes sexual promiscuity because the vaccine is administered before sexual debut. This belief fuels fear, resistance, and parental hesitation.
Initially, we assumed that access to vaccines was the primary barrier. However, through extensive discussions with mentors, we realized that parental consent — especially for children without parents or stable guardians — is a far more complex challenge.
This shift in perspective was transformative. It taught me that:
- Barriers are often social and cultural, not just structural
- Community perceptions must be understood before interventions are designed
- Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) are essential tools for uncovering real concerns
Moving forward, we plan to use these engagement strategies to better understand knowledge gaps and perceptions so that our interventions are responsive and culturally appropriate.
Adaptation: Designing Culturally Sensitive Interventions
To navigate these realities, we have had to be flexible, strategic, and culturally sensitive.
We tailored our communication approaches to address the concerns of caregivers, religious leaders, and community influencers — individuals whose voices strongly shape public opinion.
We also plan to collaborate with a trusted Community-Based Organization (CBO) in Oyo State that works directly with out-of-school girls through vocational training programmes. Partnering with an established organization allows us to build on existing trust within the community.
Our outreach strategy incorporates:
- Storytelling
- Visual aids
- Drama
- Music
These approaches are not accidental — they are evidence-informed strategies that have proven effective in engaging communities, simplifying complex health information, and gradually shifting narratives around vaccine hesitancy.
This process has strengthened my ability to translate research into practical, community-friendly solutions.
Nurturing: Building Trust for Sustainability
This project has reinforced the importance of nurturing long-term relationships.
Trust must be cultivated among:
- The girls themselves
- Parents and caregivers
- Community Health Workers
- Community-Based Organizations
Strong relationships create a foundation for sustained impact. In addition, building the capacity of Community Health Workers is critical to ensuring that the initiative continues beyond the lifespan of the project.
Sustainability is not just about funding — it is about empowering local systems and people to carry the work forward.
Final Reflection
The Change Challenge has sharpened my ability to think beyond surface-level barriers and engage deeply with community realities. It has strengthened my cultural competence, improved my strategic thinking, and reinforced my commitment to health equity.
Most importantly, it has shown me that improving HPV vaccine uptake among out-of-school girls requires more than access — it requires trust, empathy, education, and sustained community partnership.
This experience has shaped me into a more thoughtful, adaptive, and impact-driven public health professional.
