Albania

Bérengère de Negri is Chief of Party for the C-Change/Albania Family Planning, Mother, Newborn, and Child Health project. Bérengère has a degree in nursing, an MS in Sciences, and a Doctorate in Education. She has over 20 years of experience in adult education, training, behavior change communication, advocacy and interpersonal communication, capacity building, educational materials and strategy development, and participatory research methods. Her work spans more than 30 African countries, as well as Latin America and Asia.

C-Change conducted qualitative research in May 2009 to explore factors that influence contraceptive choices of young women attending universities. The researchers conducted 10 focus group discussions (FGD) with women attending universities in Tirana, Albania. These findings are being used to help design and improve communication activities carried out by C-Change in Albania.

This report presents the findings from research carried out in selected cities in Albania to evaluate the family planning activity initiated by C-Change to increase knowledge of modern contraception among young men and women and help them to make more informed reproductive choices.

A media campaign along with an interpersonal communication component effected increases in knowledge and awareness of modern contraception. A longer interval will be required to show that there was sustained change in contraception uptake.

More than 2,000 young people participated in the Festive Concert "For Happy Moments" at Student City, University of Tirana, to celebrate completion of the first 6-month Peer Education program in family planning, held by C-Change inTirana, Albania on June 2, 2009.