Youth Activism

BACKGROUND:
In Sierra Leone, approximately 70% of the population comprises young people. Apparently, while young people have time and energy, opportunities for the participation of young people in development and decision-making processes at household, community and national levels are however limited. Additionally, many development initiatives exclude young people for lack of capacity to contribute to development processes. Additionally, over the years, young people have been seen escalating violence partly due to their inability to engage constructively and partly because they do not understand and trust development and decision making processes. Similarly, the exclusion of young people in development and decision-making processes does not only undermine their contribution to those processes, it also limits their chance of understanding development and decision-making processes thereby creating mistrust and dissatisfaction over the processes.

In our youth activism program, effectively engage youth and adolescents, participate and contribute to development and decision making processes that relate to issues that affect them at local, national and international levels.

INTERVENTIONS:

We strengthen capacity and provide resourcing youth led initiatives at local, national and district levels. Additionally, we mobilise and facilitate active engagement between youth and duty bearers on priority issues for young people and their participation at international conferences. We also train and inspire male adolescents to speak up on issues affecting girls and young women in their communities. More specifically between 2023 – 2024, we trained and supported district theatre groups and adolescent boys to stage theatre performances and speak up on youth participation, gender equality and girls’ rights issues. We additionally provided logistical and technical support to 450 adolescent boys to raise awareness on youth participation and gender rights issues in schools and communities. We also capacitated and coached youth and adolescents to serve as Paralegals in their communities.

Achievements:

• 135 theater performances raised awareness on youth participation, gender rights, and traditional practices in 15 communities, reaching 13,500 residents and promoting violent free elections, gender socialization, and community cohesion;

• 1,800 male adolescents in 15 communities are actively involved in gender empowerment, youth participation, and girls' rights issues, with 9 youth paralegals and 60 youth champions trained for intergenerational dialogue and access to justice in communities;
• 90 intergenerational dialogue meetings with local leaders and community members focused on youth priority issues in 15 communities. 50 youths increased knowledge in safeguarding, advocacy, project management, and reporting on girls and young women's issues;,
• 150 stakeholders and young women engaged in intergenerational dialogue, leading to 45 community action plans and 5 youth groups supported to implement initiatives for girls' and women's participation in decision-making and leadership;
• 120 youths reported girls and young women's issues to international treaty bodies such as the UNCRC, 50 contributed to develop laws and policies, including GEWE, Youth Policy, Cyber Crime, and 12 youth groups engaged with duty bearers on International Day for Girls to raise awareness.
• Five youth groups have established their formal organization structure, registering with council, and designing safeguarding guidelines. Four groups, including YWAN, GADNET, VAC, and Mirror, are sourcing funds and implementing actions for girls and young women;
• 12 youth groups promote girls' and young women's participation in decision-making, with 50 youths contributing to law development, removing Draconian by-laws, raising awareness, and linking 1,500 adolescent girls to healthcare facilities to access SRHR services;
• 895 adolescents receive nurturing care from caregivers and older adults. Youth champions address violence and harmful practices, prevent election violence, nullify early marriages, and prosecute child abuse. Access to legal mechanisms is increased through 3 Socio Legal Defence centers established in communities.

  Lessons Learnt:

  o Robust methodologies are required to engage with communities and duty bearers in developing solutions to address community problems.
  o The creation of informal legal mechanisms can increase access to justice at community level.
  o When more people are aware of legal mechanisms, there is reduction of violence and abuse of human rights.
  o Community led activities, strengthens community ownership with a more diverse legal platform
  o Community Mediation is an alternative approach to sustainable peace in communities and its more cost effective