Stories
Youth-friendly services give adolescents a voice in Tabora
April 15, 2026
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Story
How youth-friendly services are building trust in Tanzania
Through the BRIGHT project, health workers in Tabora, Tanzania are changing how care is delivered to adolescents — building trust, protecting privacy and creating services that help young people access the information and support they need.
Posted on July 31, 2026
Every Saturday morning, the youth-friendly corner at the reproductive and child health clinic feels different from the rest of Ussoke Health Centre. The queue is calmer, conversations are softer, and the nervousness that once caused adolescents to “enter quickly and leave quickly” is giving way to something new: trust.
Sophia Mchilo, a nurse providing maternal and child health services at the facility in Tabora, Tanzania, says this shift reflects deliberate changes in how care is delivered. Through the Building Rights for Improved Girls’ Health in Tanzania (BRIGHT) project, she and her colleagues received training in adolescent-friendly services for young people aged 10 to 19, which included focusing on respectful, confidential care, non-judgmental communication and responding to adolescent needs in a more holistic way.
“We give them correct education,” she explains, “and we provide different services from family planning, nutrition education and support on issues of gender-based violence.”
The BRIGHT project, with support from the Government of Canada, works with the Government of Tanzania to strengthen adolescent health and nutrition, specifically by fostering agency within adolescent to exercise their sexual and reproductive health and nutrition rights.
For many adolescents, knowing where to go — and feeling safe enough to ask questions —can be as critical as the services themselves. For girls in particular, concerns about privacy, stigma or judgment can create additional barriers to seeking care.
Before BRIGHT’s support, providers at Ussoke Health Centre recognize that they were not always equipped to meet these needs in ways that felt appropriate or accessible to those they were looking to reach. “Before the training, we did not fully understand how to serve adolescents’ specific needs,” says Tekra Stephano, who is in charge of the reproductive and child health unit. “They were not given the special attention their age requires.”
Today, adolescent-responsive care is more structured and intentional. The facility has introduced dedicated time slots for adolescents, including weekly service days that allow providers to focus specifically on this age group. Adolescents are also grouped by age, enabling providers to tailor discussions and create more comfortable spaces — whether for younger adolescents who are just beginning to learn, or older youth seeking more detailed or sensitive information.
As Tekra explains, youth-friendly care is not a single service, but a comprehensive package. This includes nutrition counselling, family planning information, pregnancy-related care, and support in cases of violence. What matters most is not only what is offered, but how it is delivered: with respect, privacy and confidentiality.
The difference is visible in how adolescents engage with the service. Sophia notes that the need was always there but what was missing was a safe pathway to seek help. “They come and speak freely,” she says. “Not like before. Now they are open, because of the training that reached us.”
The facility also conducts outreach in schools, creating more opportunities for adolescents to access accurate information and support. Sophia says she is seeing meaningful signs of progress. “Early pregnancies have reduced,” she notes. “We provide family planning services, and we also go to schools and teach extensively.”
In the end, the most powerful evidence of change is often simple: a young person choosing to return to the clinic. A question asked without fear. A private conversation that becomes a plan for the future.
At Ussoke Health Centre, those moments are becoming more common. Adolescents are increasingly accessing services designed with their needs in mind, supported by health workers who are better equipped to provide respectful, confidential care. Through BRIGHT, these changes are helping create health services where young people feel welcomed, heard and supported.
Learn more about our work in Tanzania.
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