ThinkTwice envisions and empowers children of
primary school age to make responsible decisions
regarding sex and relationships.
Our major objectives, particularly among the previously disadvantaged, are:
ThinkTwice began its work in 1998 as the preventive thrust of the Pregnancy Help Centre in Wynberg, where the plight of counselling clients highlighted the need to educate young people about their sexual behaviour. At that time a high schools programme was developed to offer education to learners covering various topics surrounding sex and relationships including HIV & AIDS, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, setting boundaries, having dreams, etc.
In October 2003 it was decided that the schools team should launch a completely separate NPO, and so ThinkTwice was registered and is accountable to the elders of Jubilee Community Church.
The work of ThinkTwice continued in high schools, with a 10-week high school programme presented by ThinkTwice staff and volunteers.
The realisation that lifestyle change needed to start much earlier in children's lives plus requests from primary schools, highlighted the need for ThinkTwice to change our prevention and equipping work to primary school aged learners
Thus, ThinkTwice developed Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes for Grade R (Jerry Giraffe), Grade 1 (Lindiwe Ladybird), Grade 2 (Mr Wiggly Worm) and Grade 3 (Hope the Hippo). Others are planned.
These ECD programmes were conceptualised by a ThinkTwice Development team and were piloted in a number of different contexts, receiving feedback and input from educators and Education Department HIV specialists and curriculum advisors.
The strategic change was also to reach many more children by training and supporting educators and others who already work with children in schools and community based facilities. And so ThinkTwice now focuses exclusively on primary school aged children.