By Jamesetta D Williams
Liberia-About ten young people who from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Liberia, Ethiopia, and Nigeria who exemplified youth leadership in gender equality for young adolescents training have ended a three-day workshop in Monrovia.
The intensive workshop was held from September 10-12 2024. The Youth 4 Youth Advocacy Cohort was developed based on three years of collaboration between Breakthrough ACTION and the Global Early Adolescent Study (GEAS), both based at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in the United States of America.
Giving an overview of the project, the International Consultants, Jutomue Doetein said GEAS has shown that gender norms impact all areas of health for adolescents, but especially sexual and reproductive health.
“Breakthrough ACTION, which uses social behavior change approaches to improve many health areas worldwide, partnered with the GEAS to create gender transformative programs for young people,” Doetein said.
“Doetein added that it was this work that inspired the Youth 4 Youth advocacy cohort, giving young advocates the tools to bring these issues to light at a global level.
He said the goals of the cohort were to empower young leaders, all aged 18-25, from six countries across Sub-Saharan Africa to create their own advocacy strategies.
Meanwhile, the Senior Program Officer of Breakthrough ACTION said they had over 350 applications, but selected 12 participants from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Liberia, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, who exemplified youth leadership in gender equality for young adolescents.
Kare Hunersen said this strategy was an example of a true “by youth, for youth” approach, as it was primarily led by an inspiring young advocate from Liberia who already has many years of experience in capacity building and gender equality.
Mrs. Hunersen added that over the last three months, the cohort members participated in six virtual sessions where they learned about gender transformative programs, social behavior change, communication, and principles of SMART advocacy.
“This week, ten participants came together in Monrovia, Liberia to finish training in SMART advocacy, receive support in developing their own advocacy strategies and presented their “pitch” to local stakeholders,” he added.
The goal of this project is to use these strategies to help their own organizations achieve their goals.
Speaking after the three-day extensive Youth for Youth Smart Advocacy, a participant from Uganda said the training was an eye opener for young people across Africa and they are going to make the necessary change that will make them engaged policy makers.
Anena Nknay runs an community-based organizations called Community Rising Girls Network that is doing much in advocating.
She said the new method learned from the Youth for Youth Smart Advocacy training will add value to the already work they have been doing in Uganda and Africa at-Large.
Miss Nknay said advocacy is something that they have been doing and with the knowledge gained from the training will help them approach stakeholders in a timely manner.
At the same time, a female participant from Kenya who attended the training lauded the organizers and partners for providing such training that had brighten their knowledge in advocating for people in their various countries.
According to Lucas Kmama Kondo, before attending this training he had not been able to change the approach in advocacy especially meeting national leaders in Keyan but with the Youth for Youth Smart Advocacy training, he go is now going to change the method and further engage policy makers.
He said as they depart Liberia for their various countries, all of the topics that were covered during the past three days will be used in helping his organization get on path with other advocacy groups in the African region.
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