The approach starts with discussions on sexual health problems and needs in separate focus groups of boys, girls, men and women. The next, major step is joint discussion of gender issues. The groups make an inventory of problems, choose priorities, and prepare a village action plan. The most important tools used are body mapping, village mapping and focus group discussions. The idea is to increase sensitivity among all and, in particular, to achieve malesupported empowerment of girls and women.

Communities identified one cause of their problems as the decreasing importance of traditional initiation rites, which previously passed sexual information from one generation to another. And, at the same time, young people have become sexually active at an earlier age and tend to marry later, creating a longer period of high risk. Poor access to family planning clinics and contraceptives makes the situation still more difficult.

The survey demonstrated that participatory methods give better results than the traditional oneway messages about sex and reproduction. The various groups were not only better informed, they also started formulating joint proposals for improving the seriously deteriorating situation around sexual and reproductive health within the community. With this information, ABBEF drew up a strategic plan up to the year 2000, integrating the participatory method in all of its activities: the model clinics, the youth programme, the communitybased distribution of contraceptives and the incomegenerating activities for women. The target groups are sexually active girls, boys, women and men. The main objective is to improve reproductive health, with particular attention to women and girls. A girl or woman who knows more about sexuality has better options to gain control over her own life.

Tenzu Navélé, Reproductive health consultant, Bamako, Mali; Tel: +223-215790; Fax: +223-213337; e-mail: Janhorst@malinet.ml; Dia Timmermans, Health and population advisor, Royal Dutch Embassy, BP 1302, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Tel: +226-306134; Fax: +226-307695; e-mail: zwantim@fasonet.bf and Marie-Louise Ouédraogo, Programme co-ordinator, BP 535 Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso; Tel: 226-310598; Fax: 226-317511.