Thais Costa
Merlin Phahoo - SRHR for schools
The My Body, My Future program aimed to empower girls with the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about their bodies and futures. As part of Plan International’s global strategy, the program sought to eliminate harmful practices, ensure that girls fully enjoyed their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and advance gender equality.
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Our team worked in close partnership with Stella, a creative studio based in Laos, to develop engaging, age-appropriate educational materials. This collaboration helped bring fresh, locally inspired storytelling and design elements to the curriculum, making SRHR education more accessible and impactful for young learners.
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My Role:
​As the project lead, I oversaw the development of a Training of Trainers (ToT) program for SRHR education and a peer educator curriculum for schools in Bokeo and Oudomxay Provinces. The curriculum was co-designed through a participatory process involving end users, local creatives, and project partners, ensuring cultural relevance and inclusivity. I also facilitated the concept-making workshop that brought these stakeholders together, fostering a collaborative and innovative learning approach.
Company/ partners
Output
A digital platform and peer educator curriculum on sexual and reproductive health.
Location
Laos
Date
2018 - 2019
The design challenge
For individuals to develop a healthy relationship with sexual and reproductive health (SRH), they need access to accurate, positive, and stigma-free education. In Laos, however, SRH remains a taboo topic, often clouded by misinformation and societal discomfort, preventing people—especially youth—from making informed and healthy choices. Recognizing this challenge, we were enlisted to identify prevailing stigmas and co-create a platform that fosters positive and open conversations about SRH.
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To gain a deeper understanding of the social and cultural norms influencing SRH education, we conducted a design research process. Our focus was to explore how teachers and peer educators could effectively learn and share SRH knowledge with youth in a way that is engaging, culturally sensitive, and impact-driven.
Through this research, we gathered valuable insights into youth perspectives and daily experiences—how they navigate their home, school, and community environments. We learned about their aspirations for the future, the challenges they face, and how their surroundings shape their understanding of relationships and well-being. These insights played a crucial role in designing a more inclusive and accessible SRH education approach, ensuring that young people receive the knowledge they need in a format that resonates with their realities.
The outcome
After the design research phase, we facilitated a concept-making and prototyping workshop with youth, teachers, peer educators, and school directors to shape the training and curriculum. Participants refined ideas, developed prototypes—including games, written materials, illustrations, and videos—and tested them within the group.
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The workshop outcomes laid the foundation for the Training of Trainers (ToT) program and curriculum, ensuring participant-driven content. In collaboration with local creative partner Stella, we refined materials through user testing and iteration. I provided remote guidance and artistic direction, supporting Stella’s team in finalizing content and visuals.
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The result was Merlin Phahoo, a comprehensive SRH training and curriculum featuring quizzes, interactive games, facilitation techniques, and communication tools, designed to make learning engaging, accessible, and impactful.
