“Young people need to be in charge of their health because we will be able to improve different aspects when it comes to service provision, implementation of programmes that target us as young people, the research around young people and also the advocacy around the diverse population of young people. Says, Brenda Bakobye of Y+ Kenya, the national network of young people living with HIV in Kenya. Watch Brenda in this powerful video below.
“I’m pretty sure we will be able to identify ways in which we can be effectively engaged”
“Hey everyone, I’m Brenda Bakubai from Nairobi. I work with Y+ Kenya and also the Her Voice ambassador Kenya and I’m glad to be here and meet you all virtually. Why young people should be in charge of their own health: as a young person I have learned and experienced that you are very vulnerable on issues related to sexual and reproductive health. And our vulnerability is mostly increased through multiple intersecting forms of discrimination as well as structural inequality, with unprotected sex, forced sex, intergenerational sex, etc. Using our lived and programming experience we will be able to highlight and bring forth our perspective of the diverse population when it comes to young people. We are talking about adolescents and young women. We are talking about the key populations. We are talking about young people living with disability. and bringing this on board will help the programmes and service providers to meet them at their needs and have a better health outcome.
By leading as young people when it comes to the change we want to see, I’m pretty sure we will be able to identify ways in which we can be effectively engaged and by this at the leadership level will be able to improve different aspects when it comes to service provision, implementation of programmes that target us as young people, the research around young people and also the advocacy around the diverse population of young people. Thank you!”
About YouthWise
The YouthWise project aims to amplify the voices of young people living with HIV in Kenya and Malawi to enable them to practice self-care and fulfil their sexual and reproductive health and rights needs. YouthWise is a youth- and women-led project, implemented by Y+ Global, Y+ Kenya and Y+ Malawi which are networks of young people living with HIV, AYARHEP (Ambassador for Youth and Adolescent Reproductive Health Programmes) in Kenya and the Coalition of Women Living with HIV and AIDS (COWLHA) in Malawi.
There is a high need to improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for adolescents and young people living with HIV. YouthWise aims to amplify the voices of young people living with HIV in Kenya and Malawi to enable them to practice self-care and fulfil their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) needs.
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In April 2025, a team from the Indonesia AIDS Coalition (IAC) traveled to South Africa to take part in an enriching exchange visit focused on age appropriate disclosure training for children living with HIV organised by ZoeLife. The visit was part of the ongoing collaboration under the KidzAlive program, designed to strengthen community based approaches to pediatric HIV care. The exchange featured immersive training sessions and site visits, allowing the IAC team to observe best practices in action, including child friendly disclosure methods, school-based health education, and innovative support models like the Grandparents SPARK sessions.
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