A Program Evaluation of Healthy Girls Circle-Youth and Elders Sharing

There is an urgent need for culturally appropriate strategies to promote the health of the refugee population and facilitate its successful adaptation in the United States. Without this adaptation, refugees in the United States being at risk of developing and maintaining high levels of negative health outcomes, which creates a significant public health problem. Healthy Girls Circle- Youth and Elders Sharing" (HGC-YES) program aims to 1) educate Somali Bantu female refugees who now reside in Pittsburgh on health related topics such as reproductive health, exercise, and nutrition, and 2) train the participants as lay health educators so they can disseminate the health related information to members of the Bantu community, specifically elder females. Process and outcome measures were used to gain a better understanding of program effectiveness and its ability to fulfill its objectives. Evaluation measures indicated that participants experienced a consistent increase in knowledge of health related topics, but participants failed to document their dissemination of information into the Bantu community. Additionally, varying attendance rates due to scheduling conflicts and miscommunication between HGC-YES staff and participants contributed to the programs difficulty in achieving its objectives. Since the HGC-YES supervisor has developed a trusting relationship with the Bantu community over several years, there are opportunities for change. The HGC-YES program holds a great deal of potential in promoting the health of the refugee population and facilitating its successful adaptation in the United States