Tenders Are Invited For Revision Of The Bonga Adolescent Empowerment Curriculum

Tenders are invited for Revision of the Bonga Adolescent Empowerment Curriculum BONGA PROGRAM Bonga (meaning "let us dialogue together") is Strømme Foundations flagship adolescent empowerment program and has been implemented in South Sudan since 2011. The program primarily targets vulnerable and out-of-school adolescent girls and boys through a structured, dialogue-based learning approach facilitated by trained animators. The primary purpose of Bonga is to equip adolescents with the life skills, knowledge, confidence, and agency needed to navigate the challenges of adolescence and adulthood. The program is implemented through three complementary pathways: I. Bonga in Community is the flagship model and primary platform for adolescent empowerment. It targets vulnerable out-of-school adolescents, mostly girls aged 16- 19, who have never enrolled in school, dropped out before completing their education, or face barriers to participation in formal learning. Through dialogue-based learning in groups of 25-30 adolescents and facilitated by trained animators, participants develop life skills, confidence, leadership abilities, rights awareness, and positive behaviors. The program seeks to strengthen adolescents capacity to make informed decisions, protect themselves from harmful practices, participate actively in their communities, and pursue positive education or livelihood opportunities. II. Bonga Back to School targets younger out-of-school adolescents, particularly those aged 1315 years, who still have a realistic opportunity to return to formal education. The pathway builds on Bongas life skills training to strengthen learners confidence, self-esteem, aspirations, learning readiness, and motivation to continue their education. It should equip adolescents with the knowledge, attitudes, and basic competencies needed to successfully transition into formal schooling or alternative learning programs, where available. The curriculum should also address common 2 barriers to school participation, such as low self-confidence and gender norms. While facilitating transition into education is a key objective, the pathway should maintain Bongas core focus on empowerment, personal agency, resilience, and positive decision-making, enabling adolescents to become active participants in shaping their future. III. Bonga in School targets children ages 9-13 who are currently enrolled in P4-P7 and at risk of absenteeism or dropout. Implemented through school-based clubs and facilitated by trained teachers or patrons, the program strengthens life skills, selfconfidence, leadership, participation, gender equality, and child rights awareness. Bonga in-school clubs conduct weekly awareness and life skills sessions, debates, games, sports, and community theater during special events. By creating safe spaces for dialogue and peer learning, Bonga in School seeks to improve school participation, retention, well-being, and positive behavior while equipping learners with skills that support their academic and personal development and encouraging learners to remain engaged in education and pursue their future aspirations. 4. THE PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT Strømme Foundation seeks the services of an experienced adolescent curriculum development expert to review, revise, and contextualize the Bonga curriculum for South Sudan. The primary focus of this assignment is to strengthen Bonga as an adolescent empowerment program that equips vulnerable and out-of-school adolescents with the life skills, knowledge, confidence, and agency needed to navigate social, economic, health, and protection challenges. The consultant will review and revise the existing Bonga curriculum and supporting materials to: I. Ensure the curriculum is relevant to the realities, opportunities, and challenges adolescents in South Sudan face. II. Strengthen the dialogue-based learning methodology that underpins the Bonga approach. III. Promote meaningful learner participation, critical thinking, problem-solving, and informed decision-making. IV. Strengthen gender responsiveness, disability inclusion, safeguarding, and equitable participation of vulnerable adolescents. V. Integrate age-appropriate content on adolescent development, health, personal safety, healthy relationships, and positive life choices. VI. Strengthen leadership, self-confidence, resilience, agency, and positive behavior change among adolescents. VII. Promote gender equality, respect, and dignity, and prevent harmful practices affecting adolescents, particularly girls. VIII. Strengthen communication, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and social cohesion skills. IX. Strengthen financial literacy, livelihood readiness, and pathways to education, vocational training, and economic opportunities. X. Promote active citizenship, community participation, and adolescent-led action. XI. Ensure the curriculum is culturally appropriate, technically sound, and aligned with relevant national policies and frameworks. XII. Develop age-appropriate curriculum packages for adolescents aged 1315 years and 1621 years, while maintaining a common foundation of life skills and adolescent empowerment across both pathways. OBJECTIVES OF THE CURRICULUM REVIEW To review, revise, and contextualize the Bonga curriculum and implementation materials to strengthen its eaectiveness as an adolescent empowerment program that equips vulnerable adolescents in South Sudan with the life skills, knowledge, confidence, and agency needed to navigate the transition to adulthood. Specific objectives include: I. Review and contextualize the existing Bonga curriculum. II. Strengthen Bongas dialogue-based and learner-centered methodology. III. Ensure the curriculum is age-appropriate, inclusive, gender-responsive, and culturally relevant. IV. Strengthen life skills content related to leadership, resilience, health, protection, rights, and positive behavior change. V. Develop diaerentiated pathways for younger and older adolescents. VI. Strengthen pathways to education, livelihoods, and community participation. VII. Develop practical tools to support quality implementation, safeguarding, supervision, and monitoring. As part of the Bonga Program curriculum and various manuals review and development process, the consultant should ensure that the revised Bonga curriculum, ToT, and Management manual must: I. Align with the Bonga Programs overall objectives and its focus on adolescent empowerment, life skills development, and positive behavior change. II. Be age-appropriate, learner-centered, participatory, and adapted to the diverse needs and experiences of adolescents in South Sudan. III. Strengthen self-confidence, leadership, critical thinking, decision-making, and active participation in community life. IV. Promote gender equality, inclusion, safeguarding, and meaningful participation of adolescents with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. V. Incorporate culturally appropriate content, language, examples, and illustrations that reflect the realities of urban, peri-urban, rural, and agro-pastoralist communities. VI. Use engaging and practical pedagogical approaches that encourage dialogue, reflection, collaboration, peer learning, and problem-solving. VII. Cover key topics related to adolescent development, health, rights, protection, gender equality, leadership, citizenship, peacebuilding, and livelihood readiness. VIII. Draw on evidence, lessons learned, and best practices from Bonga and other adolescent empowerment programs. IX. Include structured lesson plans, facilitator guidance, monitoring tools, and approaches for assessing learning outcomes and behavior change. X. Align with relevant national policies and frameworks Tender Link : https://comms.southsudanngoforum.org/c/tenders