Sexual and reproductive health is not only vital for the social well-being of a girl child but also for her physical and mental health. Most people from rural areas lack information on how to take proper care of themselves. For example, during my first menstruation, I was so naive that I fumbled through the basic steps of maintaining good hygiene. This was because I had no prior knowledge of what it was about. Not just menstruation—terms like safe sex, HIV prevention, mental health, and sexually transmitted infections were also very foreign to us. 

Yet, despite Africa’s richness in resources—diamonds, gold, and natural beauty—life here has its share of challenges. As an orphan raised by my father, I grew up without access to essential sexual education due to cultural taboos. Like many, I became pregnant at 17, but I was fortunate to continue my education. Today, Rwanda is working toward empowering young people through advocacy and awareness campaigns, fostering a brighter future.

My name is Sadoscar Hakizimana. I am from Burundi. I am a medical doctor by profession. I started my volunteer assignment roughly two years ago — in August 2022.

Through concerted efforts in Central Asia, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) aims to expand the opportunities for women and girls, promote positive social norms by engaging men and establish comprehensive systems and mechanisms for women and adolescents. Héloïse Versavel, UN Volunteer Gender-Based Violence Specialist supports UNFPA in Kazakhstan. She has a background in Human Rights Law. 

In 2022, UN Women conducted an ethnographic review of harmful social norms and practices and support for mass advocacy initiatives to prevent violence against women and girls in the country. This mapped both harmful and positive practices, attitudes and behaviours that influence violence against women and girls.

What did your day-to-day work at UNFPA Madagascar entail? 

The project, Empowerment of Urban Women from Low-Income Families through Home Gardening to Ensure Food Security and Nutrition, was implemented in Sri Lanka from October 2022 to February 2023. It covered 12 communities with women and youth as key beneficiaries, and centered on emergency response to the socio-economic crisis in the the country. In recent years, the interest in home gardens has increased. This strategy to household food security especially helps the urban low-income communities.

Daniel Valbuena

As the UN agency focused on sexual health and reproductive rights, UNFPA's mandate spans many areas – from maternal health to gender-based violence. With the Youth Innovator Fellows on board, the agency has gained a strong group of advocates and implementers. What does the day-to-day work of a Young Innovator Fellow look like? It turns out the projects are as diverse as the Young Innovators themselves. Yet innovation is the thread that binds.

My Name is Emmanuel Chileshe Musonda, and I am currently serving as a UN Volunteer Health and Nutrition Associate at UNHCR's Kawambwa field office in the Mantapala refugee settlement. As a UN Volunteer, I mainly support the planning, implementation and analysis of health and nutrition projects in the refugee settlement. From a strategic standpoint, I provide technical guidance and programmatic recommendations on the overall design and focus of public health and nutrition programmes in the settlement.