Leading Youth Advocacy Movements in the Wake of COVID-19

By Evalin Karijo, Director, Y-ACT (Youth in Action)

Nobody ever prepares you adequately for the long and winding road of leadership. One has to be brave enough to quickly rise to the challenge. For Evalin Karijo, her youth leadership role at Amref Health Africa – especially during this time of the pandemic – has put those skills to the test.

When Y-ACT (Youth in Action) was set up a few years ago, it was Amref Health Africa’s first fully youth-led initiative. It was designed for and by the youth. We knew that this was going to be exciting. Three years down the line, the energy and creativity of the youth has been more than anyone ever imagined. Y-ACT has been operating at a time when the role of young people in decision-making processes on issues that affect them is at its highest. Y-ACT is now one of the fastest-growing youth advocacy networks in the region. It also hosts the Youth4UHC Pan-African youth movement.

Before taking on the mantle at Y-ACT, I had spent two years in different leadership roles at Amref. At the time, I was the youngest project lead in the organisation.

Youth and COVID-19

During this pandemic, my experiences in adapting to changing times and leading teams to do so has come in handy.

The youth – in Kenya and across Africa – are likely to bear the biggest burden of the effects of COVID-19. We’re experiencing:

• rapidly rising cases of unemployment,
• inadequate access to routine health services,
• and increasing cases of sexual and gender-based violence among vulnerable adolescents and youth.

A study that we recently carried out with youth highlights how the pandemic is affecting the youth in Kenya.

Youth are great catalysts of change

While the youth are vulnerable in this crisis, it’s inspiring to see their innovation. Young activists and youth volunteers are constantly generating ideas in their spaces to contribute to ending this pandemic.

Young people want to be at the forefront. They want to feel heard and consulted about policies, services and systems that are developed for them.

To amplify the youth voices during the pandemic, Y-ACT is

• working with youth advocacy movements to co-create solutions,
• lead teams to work with policy-makers,
• and ensure that youth are meaningfully engaged in the fight to end the pandemic.

The #ChampionsKwaGround campaign, launched by Y-ACT, has been amplifying voices and efforts of youth and youth-led organisations. They are making incredible contributions in the fight to end COVID-19.

The campaign features youth movements who have taken to digital media to make their voices heard. They spur collective action on COVID-19 and on their priorities, at a time when everybody needs collective action the most.

The campaign also features young health workers on the frontlines of ending the pandemic. It has featured grassroots youth-led organisations leveraging their creativity through arts, murals, and music to create awareness on COVID-19 and influence youth to adopt positive behaviour change to stop the spread of the pandemic.

Other youth advocates at grassroots level innovate and develop income-generating activities including manufacturing home-made soap and masks, while ensuring that they stay safe.

Youth-developed resources and tools: COVID-19 and beyond

Y-ACT has further developed an innovative info-site. It is designed by Kenyan youth and for youth to meet their growing needs as the pandemic continues to evolve. The info-site provides accurate and up-to-date opportunities for young people. It includes:

• online resources, webinars, and training programmes,
• helpline numbers set up by the government and partners,
• employment opportunities,
• protection services,
• and COVID-19 youth-related advocacy campaigns.

The team is now co-designing a virtual innovation lab that will provide a platform for youth to co-create solutions to deal with the post-pandemic future.

By focusing on the immediate needs of the youth and co-creating solutions towards a brighter post-pandemic future, Y-ACT is leading the youth to be in a position of authority and influence. This provides the ability to spur different outcomes based on youth creativity, and innovation, during this time of the pandemic.

Evalin Karijo is Project Director of Y-ACT (Youth in Action), an initiative of Amref Health Africa that aims to mentor, support, and increase the capacity of youth advocates to influence policy and resource priorities in the areas of gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Article first published on the Girls Globe