Make Way for Youth

It’s the last episode of Season 2!  Join our co-hosts Elizabeth Warindi, Bertha Chulu, and Vilda Otieno as they take a heartfelt look back at the impact of the Make Way Programme not just on their advocacy journeys, but also on their personal lives.

In this reflective and celebratory episode, they honor the incredible youth engagement champions who held their hands and walked with them over the last three years of SRHR advocacy. 

This one is warm, inspiring, and full of gratitude; don’t miss it! 

 In Episode 5, we are joined by Mbabazi Fillete from Learn Work Develop Rwanda and Eric Ngabonziza from the Make Way Youth Panel in Rwanda. They share their inspiring personal journeys in understanding intersectionality in sexual and reproductive health and rights, and how they have influenced others in their community by training them on this approach. This conversation highlights the transformative power of youth leadership, resilience, and collaboration in advancing SRHR. 

In the fourth episode, co-hosts Elizabeth Warindi, Bertha Chulu, and Vilda Atieno are joined by Zelalem Andualem and Lidiya Alemayehu from the Ethiopia Make Way Youth Panel. They reflect on how the Make Way programme has shaped their personal and professional journeys, helped them grow as young advocates, and equipped them to represent themselves in high-level advocacy spaces. The conversation also explores their deepened understanding of intersectionality and its critical role in advancing reproductive health rights.

For the third episode, co-hosts Elizabeth Warindi, Bertha Chulu and Vilda Atieno are joined by two powerful voices from Uganda: Agnes Namuwonge from Nexus Youth Initiative, a youth-led organization, and Leah Mukoya from Freedom and Roam Uganda, also known as FARUG, a lesbian, bisexual and queer-led organization. They share their thoughts on how Make Way has impacted their communities as well as personal and professional lives.

In episode 2, we are joined by two young trailblazers in Zambia: Thelma Malambo, who is an independent feminist and SRHR activist, and Mwenya Yambayamba, who is a facilitator at Barefeet Theatre. They share the challenges that young people face in Zambia while seeking sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and the role that Make Way has played to help overcome these barriers. They dive into how applying Make Way tools, such as the Intersectional Community Scorecard has been instrumental in Zambia for SRHR education and access to services. 

Make Way is back with season 2 of the Make Way for Youth podcast focusing all on impact stories. For this first episode, the co-hosts are joined by two powerhouses from Kenya, Angela Kioko from Black Coffee Network and Sylvester Otieno Adhaya from the St. Francis Oriang Development Program. They share their insights into how Make Way has positively impacted their lobby and advocacy work for young people in Kenya. 

Join the co-hosts Warindi, Vilda and Bertha in this episode of the Make Way for Youth podcast. They discuss their reflections and wins from 2024, including the launch of this podcast, the ratification of the African Disability Protocol and growth in meaningful youth engagement in SRHR spaces. They also express their hopes and dreams for 2025, despite the drawbacks in SRHR access and funding. 

We’re joined by Lilian Muchoki, a renowned sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocate partnering with TICAH (Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health), to discuss the Kenyan Reproductive Health Policy. We discuss the contentious issues surrounding the policy such as limited public participation during its inception and other barriers that would prevent young people accessing SRHR. 

Have you heard about the African Disability Protocol? Tune into episode seven with experts, Irene Ngolo from Cheshire Disability Services Kenya and Daphne Visser from Liliane Fonds, to learn all about the Protocol and why its ratification is important, especially for persons with disabilities. You will also learn about the different cultural perspectives and stigma facing persons with disabilities in Africa and actionable ways to support the disability justice movement.  

For this episode, we are joined by three special guests for an intergenerational dialogue on meaningful youth participation: Chris Matagaro, Founder and Executive Director of Black Coffee Network, Emmanuel Barare, Make Way youth representative and Myria Koutsoumpa, Make Way regional and global coordinator. Together, we discuss the different ways that meaningful youth participation can be achieved through funding, capacity building and opportunities for advocacy.