Aunties for sexual and reproductive health. How unwed young mothers become advocates, teachers and counsellors in Cameroon

In Cameroon, a girl's Auntie used to be her most trusted confidante, teacher and counsellor on sexual matters. In 2001, GTZ launched the Aunties Programme which borrows from this tradition. Since then, the Programme has recruited more than 6000 unwed young mothers who got pregnant while still in their teens and has given them basic training in sexual and reproductive health. This publication describes the Aunties Programme and its achievements in detail and concludes that the Aunties' approach is transferable to other countries with traditions and contemporary situations not unlike those found in Cameroon.