Mr Demel, what is the MFM project?
A sex education and prevention project. The MFM-Projekt Deutschschweiz association advocates a human rights-based, holistic approach to sex education. The one-day workshops are aimed at girls and boys aged 10 to 12 who are approaching or at the start of puberty. In schools, the workshop is best suited for Year 5. We also offer weekend courses, which can be booked by organisations. The course includes a preliminary parents’ talk, in which parents are informed about the content so that they can discuss it with their children. A listening ear from parents encourages children to confide in them, even in difficult moments .
The content is presented in a playful way: girls take on the roles of various hormones, whilst boys, as agents, take on the role of a sperm cell.
What are the key topics?
«I can only protect what I value»: it was with this in mind that doctor Elisabeth Raith-Paula launched the MFM project (MFM stands for both «Girls – Women – My Periods» and «Mission for Men»). The aim is for children to get to know and appreciate their bodies better. They develop a deeper understanding of everything their bodies do in relation to fertility, pregnancy and childbirth, and of what their bodies are capable of from puberty onwards. The courses are held in single-sex groups. In both formats, the opposite sex's body is also discussed to promote mutual understanding and an appreciation of the respective challenges of puberty.
How do you convey the content?
Playful: Girls act as detectives, deciphering the secret codes of their bodies. They take on the roles of different hormones, delving into the fascination of the female cycle and the creation of life. This helps them make sense of the physical changes they are about to experience. Discussing menstruation in detail prepares them for their monthly period, builds their confidence and instils a sense of pride. The boys are also introduced to the concept of impending fertility. As agents in the role of a sperm cell, they experience its formation in the male body and its subsequent journey into the female body, where the winning sperm cell fertilises an egg at the end of its mission and life begins.
Further information: mfm-projekt.ch
