A two-day training workshop aimed at enhancing the leadership skills, life skills, and capacity for social and behavioral change among adolescents, cultural activists, and young peer leaders was held in Charfashion, Bhola.

The training took place on Wednesday and Thursday (September 30 and October 1, 2026) at the conference room of the Charfashion Upazila Executive Officer’s Office.

The workshop was organized by the non-governmental development organization Shushilan with support from UNICEF under the “Social and Behavior Change Programme for the Well-being of Mothers, Children and Adolescents.” Members of adolescent clubs, community hubs, cultural activists, local youth, and peer leaders participated in the training.

The main objective of the training was to strengthen the knowledge, life skills, and leadership capacities of adolescents and young people and help them become active partners in promoting positive social change within their families, educational institutions, clubs, and communities.

During the two-day training, participants discussed social and behavioral change, community engagement, social accountability, life skills, leadership development, adolescent health, prevention of child marriage, and cyberbullying. To make the sessions participatory, group work, open discussions, presentations, question-and-answer sessions, scenario-based exercises, and various practical activities were conducted.

The training was facilitated by Shushilan’s Bhola district Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Programme Project Coordinator Md Sajib Rahman, Training and Monitoring Officer Marufa Sultana, and Project Officer Jagannath Roy. They discussed physical and psychological changes during adolescence, personal menstrual health and hygiene, positive behavior, effective communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and different leadership techniques.

Online safety and cyberbullying also received significant attention during the training. Participants were given guidance on protecting personal information while using social media, staying safe from online harassment, dealing with risky situations, and accessing necessary support and services.

One of the key components of the training was the preparation of a Quarterly Action Plan. Through group work, participants developed practical plans for activities they would carry out over the next three months by engaging adolescents and young people in their respective communities. The plans focused on preventing child marriage, reducing school dropout, promoting adolescent health and hygiene, ensuring cyber safety, and encouraging positive behavior.

The discussions emphasized that young people should not be viewed merely as recipients of awareness messages but as active partners in bringing about social change. Peer leaders were encouraged to raise awareness among their peers and other adolescents in their communities and motivate them toward positive behavior.

At the end of the training, participants said they wanted to apply the knowledge and skills they had gained in their own lives and share them with friends, classmates, family members, and others in their communities. They expressed particular interest in regularly participating in awareness activities on preventing child marriage, health and hygiene, cyber safety, and positive lifestyles.

The organizers said adolescents and young people can bring positive changes to their families and communities when they are given opportunities to develop leadership. The quarterly action plans prepared by the participants would play an important role in turning the knowledge gained through the training into practical activities. Such initiatives, they added, can contribute to the well-being of adolescents and accelerate positive social and behavioral changes at the local level.