Interviews

In Ethiopia, youth with hearing impairments face many barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services: from stigma and policy gaps to the lack of trained, inclusive healthcare workers. Through the Make Way programme, in partnership with the Ethiopian Women with Disabilities National Association (EWDNA), healthcare providers receive sensitisation training and sign language skills. Read more →

In Uganda, young leaders like Sylvia Musibega and Babirye Patience Gloria are showing what meaningful youth engagement looks like. Through the Make Way programme and partner The Alliance of Women Advocating for Change (AWAC), they create safe spaces where youth in refugee communities can access reliable sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information and get equipped with livelihood skills. Babirye: “Our diverse identities and lived experiences give us unique insights into the barriers we face in accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights.” By leading change themselves, young people…

In many countries with underfunded healthcare systems, like Zambia, young people in rural settings often have little to no access to sexual and reproductive health information and services. Social stigma from regressive cultural and religious beliefs on SRHR makes even those who might know about the services hesitant to seek them. We spoke with Florence Tembo and Mwenya Katongo about how Make Way has supported the establishment of safe spaces in the Eastern and Southern provinces of Zambia, where youth with compounded vulnerabilities often gather to share SRHR experiences and…

A critical lack of information and services is one of the biggest barriers to youth accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). In Kisumu-Kenya, the Make Way programme and its partners are using the Intersectional Community Scorecard (ICSC) to bridge this gap by equipping young people with avenues for participation and expression. This social advocacy and accountability tool empowers youth with compounded vulnerabilities to be at the forefront of advocating for their sexual and reproductive health and rights. We spoke with Sylvester Adhaya and Zaccheus Okoth about how, in…

It’s time to make way for youth! Bertha Chulu, Elizabeth Warindi and Vilda Atieno are trailblazers as youth advocating for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. In their countries Kenya and Zambia, they witnessed first-hand the inadequate access to SRHR services and fact-based information, especially for youth and those with a disability. These barriers are often a result of decision-makers and policymakers lacking knowledge of the needs and lived-realities of youth. With this in mind, Bertha, Warindi and Vilda represent the Make Way programme at regional and…

In largely religious contexts like Rwanda, knowledge and agency with regards to sex can often be met with stigma and blanket prohibition, presenting multi-dimensional barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) and services. Issues like gender-based violence (GBV) are often met with apathy. Reverend Thérèse Mukamakuza of the Presbyterian Church and Jules Ruhumuriza led training workshops with religious leaders, district authorities and the youth in Rwanda’s Kirehe district. These workshops supported by Make Way seek to address the stigma and apathy through engagement with duty-bearers in the community,…