Make Way youth delegation set to take Women Deliver by storm

Women Deliver is an extraordinary event happening from 17 to 21 July in Kigali, Rwanda. It brings together grassroots advocates, multilateral governments, the private sector, philanthropies, and youth, to identify and propose solutions to compounding issues impacting girls and women. About 6,000 people are expected to join in person and 200,000 will participate online.

“Nothing about the youth without the youth”

We are delighted to introduce the members of our dedicated youth delegation, who are joining the conference committed to making their voices heard and shaping a more inclusive future:

Vilda Atieno Otieno

is 22 years old and lives in Kisumu, Kenya. She is a young Kenyan woman living with a physical disability. She has a bachelor’s in Social Work and is volunteering at Cheshire Disability Services Kenya as a youth advocate for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of young people. Living with a disability herself, she has witnessed the many challenges that people with disabilities face – in particular, the gaps youth with disabilities have in accessing SRH information and services. Prevention of gender-based violence is one of Vilda’s focus areas, and she is speaking up for all young people with disabilities in Kenya and beyond, e.g. through her own social media, Twitter conversations and conferences. She is currently involved as a lead panelist for the biggest SRHR conference in Kenya. Vilda will also be speaking on the panel of the concurrent session organized by Liliane Foundation during Women Deliver 2023.

Kelvin Besa

is a 25-year-old young man from Zambia who is living with albinism. He is a teacher by profession and very passionate about SRHR for persons with disabilities, and vocal about the accessibility of SRH services for persons with disabilities. Additionally, he plays a big role in pushing for the African Disability Protocol in Zambia.

Patience Gloria Babirye,

from Kenya, is 26 years old. Patience has had a hearing impairment since she was 13 years old. She is currently participating in the Disability Law Summer School (online) at the University of Galway, where she was offered a scholarship. A few months back she was in Nairobi for the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). This programme selects participants to engage in leadership training, innovation, creating learning, and communication across three tracks of study: (1) Business and Entrepreneurship, (2) Civic Leadership, and (3) Public Management. She also spoke on a webinar on Gender and Disability of the Dutch Coalition on Disability and Development (DCDD). You can read more about Gloria in this blog post.

Zelalem Andualem

is 24 years old and is from Ethiopia. He is having a physical disability since an accident at the age of 16. He is passionate about access to SRHR services, taking the lead for youth-led research in Ethiopia. Zelalem has a great vision on meaningful youth participation.

Wilhelmina Ice

from Indonesia is now 18 years old and became involved with SRHR through the My Body is Mine program, in 2019. She has been advocating for SRHR for persons with disabilities in her communities, but also at larger SRHR conferences in Indonesia. She acts as an advocate and peer educator for San Kita, a PO in Labuan Bajo. Wilhelmina will also speak on the panel of the concurrent session organized by Liliane Foundation at Women Deliver 2023. Wilhelmina received a scholarship from Women Deliver to come to the conference.

Patrick Tuyishimire,

30 years old, from Rwanda, is deaf and a member of the Board of Rwanda National Union of the Deaf (RNUD), in the position of Youth Representative. Through NUDOR, he was appointed to a group of Make Way Regional Youth with Disabilities Council that is facilitated by the Liliane Foundation. Patrick: “Personally, I have evidence that there are many deaf people who do not know about SRHR due to a lack of information, and the communities do not approach deaf people for talking with them about SRHR. It is difficult for doctors to talk with deaf people about SRHR because doctors do not know sign language. I am excited to join Women Deliver because I will share with the community especially deaf people what I heard during the Women Deliver conference for others to learn as well.”

Dinah Kabazayire

is a 28-year-old from Rwanda. She lives in Kigali and has a physical disability. She takes Women Deliver as a great opportunity to connect with other young people with or without disabilities to discuss topics related to SRHR and gender equality. She is looking forward to learning more about SRHR and is excited to attend the conference.

Quinter Obiero

is a passionate young queer individual who actively advocates for the rights of the sexual and gender minority groups in Kenya, with a strong focus on SRHR. As a committed member of the Make Way Youth Panel, Obiero actively engages in creating awareness, advocating for policy change, and empowering marginalized communities. Their work is driven by a deep sense of justice and a desire to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all.

Elizabeth Warindi

is podcaster, content creator, and advocate for the rights of young women and youth in East Africa. She hosts the Chini Ya Mbuyu Podcast at Akili Dada. As a storyteller, she highlights young women’s challenges, like period poverty and gender-based violence, to drive these conversations that are taboo topics in many parts of the country. Additionally, Warindi represents East African youth in the Make Way Consortium, which advocates for comprehensive sex education, equitable access to sexual and reproductive rights, and the end of gender-based violence. As a member of the Regional and Global Youth Panel, Warindi leverages her experience to ensure that the voices of young women are heard.

Coreen Mwebaze,

a dedicated advocate for comprehensive SRHR education, hails from Kampala, Uganda. With a firm belief in the power of knowledge, Coreen actively challenges the stigma associated with discussions on sexual health. She focuses on breaking down barriers and ensuring that young people in Uganda have access to the information they need to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health. Coreen’s work is driven by an intersectionality lens, recognizing the interconnectedness of various identities and experiences that shape young people’s lives.

Participating project officers

Project officers from the various SRHR programs are also joining Women Deliver 2023:

• Srushti Mahamuni and Laura Honders from Liliane Foundation
• Lucy Bwalya and Patience Kanguma from Cheshire Homes Society Zambia (CHSZ)
• Faustine Chepchirchir and Barbara Ndolo from Cheshire Disability Services Kenya (CDSK)
• Linh Ngo from Research Center for Inclusion (RCI)
• Ariane Dusenge from National Union of Disabilities’ Organisations of Rwanda (NUDOR)
• Nona Yabloy from NLR Indonesia

More information on www.wd2023.org.