For Max Ayaga, aged 20, a law student at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, the goal is clear: ensure young people have access to the information and support they need to thrive. After losing a friend to suicide, Max became determined to promote the well-being of fellow learners. As a changemaker and campus ambassador, he trains peer counsellors and addresses misinformation around sexual and reproductive health and rights, recognizing its links with mental health.
Supported through UNESCO’s O3 programme, Max and his peers launched the RADA app, which provides virtual counselling services and reliable sexual and reproductive health and rights information for learners who may be uncomfortable seeking support in person. They also introduced mobile caravans for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing.
“We do not want to sit and wait,” says Max. “Rather, we want to be part of the solution.”
Today, the app serves more than 3,000 learners, while the initiative has grown from 10 campus ambassadors to 500 peer counsellors trained this year alone. “What we have in common is the ambition and the vision to make our community a better place,” says Max. “We have to come up with solutions for our own generation.”
From improving access to health information and advancing inclusion, to strengthening accountability and supporting peers on university campuses, these young leaders are addressing issues that matter most to young people while demonstrating the power of youth leadership to drive meaningful change. Their stories remind us that when young people are trusted, supported and heard, they can transform lives and communities.
Source: www.unesco.org
