In a bid to complement the government’s efforts to raise awareness about COVID-19, Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia (FGAE) has created a short video that communicates the importance of undertaking preventive measures to stop the spread of the disease.   The 65-second-long video shares information about the need for practicing good hygiene, wearing of facemasks, social distancing, and other quarantine measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. The video carries subtitles in Amharic -the national language that is understood by all Ethiopians across the country. The video has been shared multiple times on FGAE’s social media platforms, reaching thousands of Ethiopians. It has also been broadcast in 46 FGAE-owned health facilities across the country. In addition, the video has been screened at various public television screens in major towns in Ethiopia. Learn more about FGAE's work in Ethiopia here.

Olgah Daphynne Namukuza is a young volunteer with our Member Association in Uganda - Reproductive Health Uganda. She also holds various leadership positions within IPPF; she is the youth representative in the IPPF Africa Region Executive Committee, and is also an IPPF Governing Council member. What inspired Olgah to become a volunteer? What has she gained from being a volunteer? What have been her contributions as a young leader? What is her encouragement to other young people who wish to have meaningful impact in their community? In this video, Olgah tells it all. 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 Story by Maryanne W. Waweru, Governance and Compliance Officer, IPPF Africa Region

Africa’s young people are the primary vehicle for realizing the demographic dividend and the principal engine for fostering development at all levels. An African Union (AU) Assembly decision in January 2016 established the theme for 2017 as “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend Through Investments in Youth.” The Demographic Dividend in Africa Relies on Investments in the Reproductive Health and Rights of Adolescents and Youth. This document extrapolates this.