Blog October 2025

Finally on Bohol again, last time was exactly a year ago.

And this time it seems like we will be able to do our project about teenage pregnancies.

Which was planned already 2020. By the support of Bodø Rotary.

But then the Covid epidemic came. And stopped everything.

We even had to leave the Philippenes. Luckily, our team consists of Filipinos, so our projects could partially continue.

And now we are here to  fulfill our plan about teenage pregnancies.

Our lecturer should have been Professor Jon Øivind Odland. Who was professor in International Health at the University of Trondheim, Norway. But he passed in February this year. So now his daughter, maria Lisa Odland, who is Dr Med in this field (teenage pregnancies), will take his place.

And our seminars will be for 52 leading doctors (there are 52 municipalities on Bohol), 52 leading midwives, 52 High School leaders and 52 youth leaders.

We are co-operating with the Province of Bohol, the governor himself and chair of health, dr. Uy, have called in all of these.

There are more than 3000 teenage pregnancies a year in Bohol. The Catholic church forbids teaching of Family planning in High School, the church also forbids use of contraceptives. Ad the Philippines has one of the strictest laws against abortion in the world, even 10-year-old pregnant girls must try to give birth. And almost all of those who are so young, die in the effort of giving birth. And so does their baby.

Our project is highly needed!

Gunnar Kristiansen

President of ihelpfriendship.

And now we are here to  fulfill our plan about teenage pregnanci