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From 2018 to 2020, funding from Global Affairs Canada (GAC), through the She Decides project, supported IPPF and its local partners in five priority countries – Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Malawi, and Mali – to expand their reach and impact in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), particularly for those who are most marginalized. During the project period, partners provided close to 17 million SRH services at their service delivery points, such as STI screenings, HIV testing, safe abortion, and counselling and access to modern contraceptives such as long-term injectables, surpassing the initial target by 770,000. The vast majority of clients receiving these services (76.5%) are those living below the poverty line, frequently at great distances from existing health services/facilities, who may be internally displaced as a result of humanitarian crises, and are often further marginalized on the basis of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Funding through She Decides enabled partners to develop and implement innovative strategies for reaching these populations and the most hard-to-reach regions that had some of the worst SRHR indicators. For example, In Malawi, our Member Association - Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM) - expanded its service delivery to rural, under-served communities in four districts (Dedza, Dowa, Mzuzu and Lilongwe) through outreach services, and strengthened provision of a comprehensive package of integrated SRH services through static clinics in 12 districts. Over the course of implementation, FPAM reached approximately 555,186 (over 25 years) women and 659,382 (<25 years) girls with integrated SHR services. A particular focus of the project has been to increase the access of hard-to-reach youth to SRHR information and services, through Youth Life Centers, youth outreach clinics, and intensive involvement of youth in outreach activities and awareness-raising campaigns. In Mali, IPPF Member Association - Association Malienne pour la Promotion et la Protection de la Famille (AMPPF) - used multiple service delivery strategies to expand access to SRH services in some of the most under-served regions of the country, some of them affected by ongoing security risks. It includes the regions of Kayes, Koulikoro, Sikasso, Ségou, Mopti, Gao, and Bamako District. Over the course of the project, AMPPF provided 1,524,825 integrated SRH services to over 556,228 women and girls. AMPPF organized 857 community engagement activities, including outreach at highly attended community festivals, reaching an estimated 41,423 people with positive messages about SRHR. In addition to directly supporting services and community mobilization to reach specific vulnerable populations in each country, She Decides has helped boost partners’ advocacy efforts to champion sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), in particular for a more enabling environment in which governments and other key decision-makers are committed to upholding and fulfilling SRHR. Through this project, partners completed 2,005 specific advocacy engagements. Partners contributed to 31 advocacy wins that engender greater respect and protection of SRHR and have long-term implications for the health and wellbeing of women and girls in project countries. Key high-level advocacy initiatives included: incorporation of SRHR in municipal development plans in project regions (Colombia); approval of the National Plan to Reduce Teen Pregnancy (Dominican Republic); increasing contraceptive security and transparency around SRH financing (Guatemala); advancing abortion law reform (Malawi); and advocating for the integration of SRH into the COVID-19 response (Mali). Underpinning these interventions was a deliberate effort to build partners’ overall sustainability through data and financial systems strengthening and sustainability efforts to improve their resilience to future shocks, whether from a sudden loss of donor funding or a crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic, which erupted in the last quarter of the project, tested this capacity as partners pivoted quickly to provide continuity of services and to advocate for the inclusion of SRHR as part of the emergency response. For more information, visit the project report: GAC/She Decides Report

​​​​​​Today, the International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) joins the rest of the world in marking the International Youth Day under the theme ‘Youth Engagement for Global Action’. We asked some members of the Youth Action Movement (YAM), a youth arm of IPPFAR’s volunteer body to share their perspectives on youth engagement. This is a conversation with Erasmo Mbemba, YAM member from Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM). In your opinion, what does meaningful youth engagement mean and why is it important?   Erasmo: Meaningful youth engagement means treating young people as colleagues and equals. To me, young people need to be part of all processes from the beginning to the end. These processes include planning, decision-making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Young people should have the same rights as everyone else, such as the equal right to speak and contribute to all processes without being undermined. This helps to build their confidence and groom capable and experienced leaders. How has IPPFAR and your Member Association fostered youth engagement? Erasmo: IPPFAR and Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM) are doing a lot to ensure meaningful youth engagement. They have created a platform where young people are a part of the governing bodies, Board of Trustees at regional, national and district levels. They have invested in building the capacities of young people, thus enabling them to effectively contribute to both organizations. IPPFAR and FPAM have created spaces where young people can meet and discuss issues affecting them, while at the same time engage adult mentors to help them grow as individuals and teams. I am a beneficiary of all these processes.     How can young people be more involved in decision-making processes?  Erasmo: There is need to invest in more capacity building initiatives for young people through trainings and mentorship programs, because if young people lack information and skills they may not contribute effectively even when included in all processes and spaces. Capacity building and creating opportunities for young people to take up high-level leadership roles in an organizations (NGOs), private sector, political, community and religious institutions will help to speed youth engagement. Also Read: "My Volunteer Work Enabled me to Travel Outside my Country" -Michelle Grace Phiri If you are young person and would like to join the Youth Action Movement, see where we work and get in touch. You can also reach us through @YAM Africa For more information about the work of IPPF Africa Region, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. 

By Maryanne W. WAWERU Michelle Grace Phiri is a 21-year-old undergraduate student at the University of Malawi; Chancellor College. She is a member of the Youth Action Movement (YAM) in the Family Planning Association of Malawi (FPAM) and also serves in its governance structure. In this article, Michelle talks about her volunteer experiences and the lessons she continues to learn along the way. When Did you join the Youth Action Movement (YAM)? I joined YAM three years ago while in my second year of college. This was in 2016 when YAM was introduced at Chancellor College where I’m currently pursuing my undergraduate studies. I had come across a flier on the college notice board by FPAM inviting volunteers to join the program. Since I’ve always been interested in issues around youth and development, I quickly enrolled. I was one of the pioneer YAM members at Chancellor College and was elected by my peers to serve as the YAM Secretary for the Chancellor College chapter from 2016 - 2017. Today, I serve in the YAM leadership at the national level as the YAM National Treasurer General – a position I was elected to in December 2017. What Activities Do You Engage in as a YAM Volunteer? I am engaged in peer education activities. I participate in outreaches which we mostly undertake in secondary schools and colleges. During the outreaches, we share information about sexual reproductive health. We answer young people’s questions about sexuality by giving them information that helps clarify many of the myths and misconceptions they have. Some of the frequently asked questions include those around the menstrual cycle, safe days and condom use. I also offer counseling support to those who reach out to me -especially my college-mates. Where necessary, I refer them for further management to the student counsellor or the campus student clinic. In addition, owing to my work with YAM, my peers in campus approach me for information on emergency contraceptives and condoms. I often refer them to the nearest FPAM clinic in Zomba where youth-friendly services are offered. There are times when I have met some of my college-mates who, months later, tell me that because of a conversation I had with them, or an outreach I participated in, they learned something new and changed their behavior. This motivates me very much as it assures me that my volunteer work is directly benefiting individual's lives.   What Has Been one of your Most Memorable Moments as a YAM Volunteer? In January 2017, FPAM nominated me to attend the African Union summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as a youth volunteer representing the organization. This stirred the volunteer spirit in me because I honestly never thought I would ever be considered for such an opportunity. It was such a great honor to travel to another country because of my volunteer work! While attending the summit in Ethiopia, I learned a lot about advocacy and the need to raise our voices as African youth. I also got to interact with YAM members from other African countries such as Niger, Chad and Zambia, where we exchanged notes on how to improve our work. It was also a good networking opportunity for me as I got to interact with notable African youth leaders -including parliamentarians. I have also been able to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, to attend IPPF Africa Region statutory meetings. These include the youth forum and the Regional Council. During these forums, I have been able to gain immensely from my interaction with other volunteers and leaders within the Africa region. What is Your Encouragement to Young People Regarding Voluntarism? While offering your services to the community on a voluntary basis is certainly not easy, it teaches you a lot about the value of humanity. Also, interaction with people from other areas other than your comfort zone helps you realize more about yourself and grow you as an individual. Volunteering also helps you learn a lot from the organizations you choose to volunteer with, such as the concept of work ethics. It exposes you to the professional environment and helps prepare you for your future career. I would therefore like to encourage young people to seek out volunteer opportunities in organizations that align well with their goals. I’m glad that FPAM is one such organization. If you are young person and would like to join the Youth Action Movement, see where we work and get in touch. You can also reach us through @YAM Africa Maryanne W. Waweru is the Governance and Compliance Officer, IPPF Africa Region. For more updates on our work, follow us on Facebook and Twitter

By Maryanne W. Waweru Adeline Melom is a 20-year-old Youth Action Movement (YAM) member from Chad, in Central Africa. Adeline is attending activities around the 28th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The theme of the Summit is: Investing in Youth in Order to Harness the Demographic Dividend”. Adeline’s participation in the Summit, together with those of other YAM members including Grace Banda, Issifou Diallo Agaichatou and Michelle Grace Phiri has been facilitated by IPPF Africa Region. Adeline, a high school student, shares her thoughts on one of the issues that greatly troubles her as a young woman in Chad. “I believe that Africa’s growth and development lies in its young people, and towards this end, they must be supported to explore their full potential. However, I get discouraged by the many challenges that young people face, which hampers their ability to be productive in society. In particular, I am saddened by the plight of young girls in my country, many of whom are married off at very tender ages to older men. When this happens, their schooling is interrupted and it even becomes worse when they become young mothers because many times, it signals the complete end of their education. Yet, I believe that a quality education is central to the ability of young people, including girls and young women, to become more productive in the labor force and help them become economically independent. Through my participation in this Summit, I have broadened my understanding on how we as young people can work towards our own productivity. When I return home, I will mobilize my fellow young people to brainstorm on the different ways we can highlight and solve the problems they face, and for those that we are unable to solve on their own, how we can engage other people to help us, such as lawmakers and other leaders. As YAM –Chad chapter, we will strengthen our community mobilization and education efforts, where we will reach out to more young girls, parents, teachers, religious leaders and community elders in explaining to them the benefits of keeping young girls in school, and not marrying them off early. After attending the Forum of African Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FPA) here, where I got to meet several MPs from different African countries, and even get to understand that they are deeply committed to youth investment, I have more confidence and I believe I’ll be able to approach Legislators in my country and ask them to be at the forefront in campaigning against early marriage of girls, and helping in the implementation of related policies, laws and programmes that support them girls and youth in general. My self-assurance in my capacity as youth advocate capable of initiating change in my community has been greatly boosted, and I thank IPPF Africa Region for enabling me to participate in this Summit.” For more updates on our work, follow IPPF Africa Region on Facebook and Twitter

Michelle Grace Phiri is a 19-year-old university student from Malawi. She is also an active member of the Youth Action Movement (YAM) in her country, and advocate against Child Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM). IPPF Africa Region, which prioritizes youth engagement and empowerment, facilitated the participation of Michelle and other YAM members to attend activities around the 28th African Union Summit, which included the 9th AU Gender Pre-Summit and a Forum of African Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FPA) meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The AU theme for this year is: Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investment in Youth”. IPPF Africa Region works closely with various development partners, among them the African Union in the realization of the continent’s development goals, and achievement of ‘The Africa we Want’. We caught up with Michelle on her views on youth and Africa's development. “In my experience as a young person, many times we are told that we are the leaders of tomorrow. But I always ask myself this question: When does tomorrow start? Africa’s youth face a myriad of challenges in their daily living, and I believe that the best people to highlight these problems, explore feasible solutions and implement worthwhile recommendations are the youth themselves, in collaboration with other development partners. But they must be centrally involved in this process, and not just wait for decisions to be made for them. The time is now, I believe. Let us not wait for tomorrow to become leaders so that we can start solving Africa’s problems then. As a young person, whatever capacity you find yourself in today, begin seeking solutions to the challenges that you and other African youth face. You have the power in you to bring about that change. But how can young people do so, you ask? Mobile Technology Young people can form groups to seek solutions to their problems. Many of those in urban and peri-urban areas have access to mobile technology, so they can use them to communicate with each other in a group –such as on Facebook or WhatsApp, where they can highlight their issues, engage in debates and constructive arguments, suggest solutions to these problems, and even strategize on how their plight can reach policy makers and other Legislators. In rural areas, groups are also just as effective, where they can form clubs, self-help groups, and other productive forums where they can similarly discuss their problems and propose solutions. In whichever groups they are, they can invite those in authority or those responsible for addressing the issue to answer their questions or explain why things are not going as they should. They should feel confident enough to raise questions about their access to basic rights such as health services, education, clean water, hygiene and sanitation.  Traditional Media To advance their cause, young people should also take advantage of the traditional media; radio, newspapers and television to call for action and hold their government and leaders to account on their commitments. We recognize the value of journalists in highlighting social issues, spotlighting corruption and calling for accountability by leaders. The media is also instrumental in showcasing success stories and educating the community on innovative strategies that could realize development in the society. Young people can participate in talk shows on radio or TV, and send in their opinion letters to editors, as a means of participating in development conversations and seeking solutions to their problems. They should not just sit back and wait for change to come to them. They should be part of the solutions.   Those are my thoughts. What are your thoughts on youth and Africa's development?" If you are a young person who is passionate about Africa's development, join the Youth Action Movement in your country today. Story by Maryanne W. Waweru, IPPF Africa Region. For more updates on our work, follow us on Facebook and Twitter

One of the principles that IPPFAR stands for and champions across the region, is the empowerment of adolescent girls and young women. This it does by implementing, through Member Associations, different programs and projects that are focused on this population. One such initiative is the ‘3E Project’, currently being implemented in the three countries of Malawi, Kenya and Uganda. In these countries, girls and young women aged between 10 – 25 years and who are particularly vulnerable to HIV, as well as those living positively with HIV are empowered to voice their needs and concerns through mentoring activities and through social media. The trained youth advocates play a key role in mobilizing other young women by building their advocacy skills on HIV and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). This they do through community outreaches, conducting educative sessions in schools, in their neighborhoods, as well as sending out messages on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.   “When women hold key decision-making positions, then they are able to push for the agenda of all women across the country, and advocate for their rights. Since 2015, the 3E project has been on a journey to nurture the leadership skills of adolescent girls and young women, especially in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR),” says Ms. Nathalie Nkoume –IPPFAR’S Gender, Sexual Rights and Advocacy Advisor, who is coordinating the 3E project. To date, the project has trained over 75 young passionate and vibrant girls who continue to raise awareness on different aspects of SRHR among their peers, their parents and the school community (including teachers). These passionate young girls – Africa’s growing leaders, have spearheaded different initiatives in their own communities that are focused on empowering fellow young women and raising their status in society. “We go to schools, colleges and talk to girls in the neighborhood about sexual reproductive health and through this, many girls have come back to us and told us that they have been able to make informed choices about their sexuality because of the information we shared with them,” says Bridget Ndagire from Uganda. 19 year-old Caroline Mulenga from Malawi says that she has been able to refer hundreds of young girls for reproductive health services. “Through the 3E project, I have got to learn of facilities that offer youth-friendly services in my area, and I refer young girls there. Previously, they were reluctant to access SRHR information and services at health centers because they were not as accommodating of their needs. But I have been able to let them know that nowadays, many health providers have been trained on how to effectively handle the sexual reproductive health needs of young people, and I have seen them taking up services,” she says.   Bridget, Caroline and other young advocates trained by the 3E project are now recognized as sources of quality SRHR information in their communities, and continue to raise their voices in different platforms they are invited to –including at the national and regional levels where they raise thier voices and all for the prioritization of the reproductive health needs of young African women. The project has also had an effect on the girls at a personal level.  "Before the project, I was not able to stand up and speak before people. I was afraid and shy. But not anymore. I am happy to say that my engagement with the 3E project has made me more confident, and today I can address a huge gathering of people in my community, where I share with them information on among others: sexual and reproductive health,” says Jacinta Auma from Siaya County in Kenya.  The 3E Project, implemented through the technical assistance of IPPF Africa Region and with financial support from UN Women, has indeed transformed the lives of adolescents and young women in the three countries. Story by Maryanne W. Waweru, IPPF Africa Region.