Do They Match Report Bangladesh - World Population Foundation

Do they match? August, 2010
not have enough time for counselling and the clients have to wait a long time for their
service.
The clients also mentioned that the equipment in the YFS centre, for example computers,
games, IEC materials, TV sets etc. is not adequate for the number of visitors. They do
not have enough books to meet their needs; although they have many religious books,
they do not have many books of other kinds, particularly books relating to the SRHR.
The fact that Tarar Mela refers its clients to FPAB also discourages many young people
from using the YFS centre. The boys and girls stated that they felt embarrassed to
discuss their problems with the adult FPAB doctors and paramedics, who they felt are not
friendly to young people and can be judgmental. For many clients, only being able to get
a prescription from Tarar Mela, and not being able to get the medicine itself, is an
obstacle to coming into the YFS centre. In particular, if an unmarried STD patient just
gets a prescription, it is hard for him or her to then go to a pharmacy and ask for this
type of medicine. The clients feel that a separate paramedic for Tarar Mela and a supply
of medicine from the YFS centre would serve them better.
The location of the YFS centre itself is a problem for some of the youth. The YFS centre is
located in the same premises as FPAB, and historically the reputation of FPAB, as a
family planning clinic, is stigmatized in the society. Youths are scared of their family
members, worrying that adults would question them about their visits to FPAB. As YFS
centre and FPAB have the same entrance, both groups will see each other. Moreover, the
adult visitors to FPAB sometimes wait in the corridor of the YFS centre entrance. The
young people imagine that if their adult family members, neighbours or any adults in
general from the community find them at the YFS centre they might think that the young
persons have come for the family planning services, which will be viewed very
negatively, as they are not supposed to be sexually active. Also the youth are afraid of
the fact that word spreads quick in a small district town namely Jessore concerning youth
sexuality, particularly with girls.
Some clients mentioned that some staff from Tarar Mela are unfriendly to the youth
visitors. Further probing confirmed that these staff are actually from FPAB. Others
mentioned that the approach is not tailored to young people. Some mentioned that there
is an age difference between the clients and the staff, for example they would like the
paramedic to be younger than the current ones. It was said that the guard and old aya
(female service staff), who welcome the youth at the entrance of the YFS centre, are not
friendly to anyone. They do not take the youth clients seriously. As one said: “I have to
face the non smiley guard and the rough behaved aya to register. Only after that I get a
nice behaved counsellor.” Another concern made by the young female clients of Tarar
Mela is about some FPAB male adult staff who sit and watch TV in the air conditioning
room of Tarar Mela in their free time. The young girls do not feel comfortable to come to
Tarar Mela in their presence.
The young people who come to Tarar Mela are concerned about the confidentiality of
their visit and any other information that they share. They particularly mentioned about
the registration process, which is not anonymous. They have to register at least twice,
and if counselling is involved then they are required to register 3 times. By doing so they
end up providing information about their name, father's name, address, class, age,
signature, cell no., and home address.
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