Getting Ready to Cellphilm: Training the Team to Work with Adolescents to Create Cellphilms to Support Intergenerational Dialogue in Bauchi State, Nigeria

Stakeholders in a participatory research project in northern Nigeria’s Bauchi State discussed concerns about adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) and mapped their perception of causes of good ASRH. Older stakeholders struggled to see the perspective of the adolescents, describing problems with adolescents and prioritising good morals to promote good ASRH. The project supports evidence-based dialogue between adolescents and other stakeholders and co-design of interventions to improve ASRH. In Bauchi’s conservative Muslim culture, groups of adolescent girls and boys cannot meet to share views and seek solutions. Adolescents, especially girls, are not able to speak out in the presence of elders. Creating cellphilms to share adolescent experiences and their ideas for solutions will enable constructive dialogue between adolescents, parents, service providers and community leaders. Some 600 adolescents and other stakeholders in 30 communities making cellphilms could be a transformative experience that contributes to improved ASRH. A local team of trained young women and men (aged 17–22 years) will support adolescent cellphilmers. We report on their experience with their own training and reflect on the emerging challenges of working with adolescents and others in communities to create cellphilms in settings like northern Nigeria.