Executive Director's Spotlight on SRHR Africa Trust

Coming out of the 58^th Session on the Commission on Population and Development (CPD58) earlier this month with PMNCH side events focused on the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) to overall well-being, we are highlighting a partner in our NGO constituency for their outstanding work in this area: SRHR Africa Trust (SAT).

SAT was established in 1990 to support community-based organizations to strengthen programming in HIV and AIDS in southern Africa. Since then, it has become known as an innovative, youth-centered organization focusing on adolescent and youth health and well-being, SRHR and gender equality across eastern and southern Africa. It operates as a network of activists, NGOs and supporters who are deeply committed to the empowerment of young people and the underlying factors influencing adolescent well-being. They facilitate access to quality health education and services through political advocacy, partnerships and fund management and by supporting new ways of connecting health and young people and imagining new and healthier pathways to adulthood.

Africa has the youngest population in the world and the working-age segment is growing rapidly. This demographic transition increases the economic growth potential of the continent and can lead to a reduction in global inequalities if investments are made in education, health, jobs, reproductive rights and good governance.

According to Adolescents in a changing world: the case for urgent investment, a report produced by PMNCH and partners, the economic and social returns from a wide range of investments to address adolescent well-being are significant. The report provides valuable insights into interventions where investments will yield high returns, including those focused on health services and multisectoral interventions. This evidence base is crucial for policymakers, practitioners, researchers, educators, donors and non-governmental organizations like SAT, as we map the road ahead together for a better and more sustainable future.

SAT’s five areas of focus include:

• Confidence and leadership - through mentorship and in spaces – YouthHubs – young people can connect, share experiences, collaborate and motivate one another to be more proactive in their own lives and active in their communities.
• Building good health and well-being - through life skills education and enhancing agency to make better decisions about their health, especially their sexual and reproductive and mental health
• Work preparedness and economic development – by providing structured volunteer opportunities in health systems that give them life and work skills such as computer use, public speaking and presentations, report writing, as well as teamwork, punctuality, financial literacy and leadership.
• Awareness and activism in climate and sustainability - This work will increasingly be oriented towards youth participation in climate solutions, including environmental conservation, renewable energy and sustainable agriculture, while also working to raise awareness of the climate crisis among young people. See this report from WHO for climate change impacts on child and adolescent health and well-being.
• Civic engagement and youth democracy building – cultivating a sense of responsibility and influence in young people, to support them to become leaders in their own communities and advocates at local, regional and global levels.

Special thanks to Levi Singh, Regional Youth and Policy Officer, based in Durban, South Africa. Levi has participated in PMNCH events including as host of the Global Forum for Adolescents and moderator of Accelerating SDG Commitments: 1.8 Billion Adolescents and Youth Transforming our World. Most recently, he spoke at SRHR as a Catalyst for Social and Economic Rights: Advancing Health, Equity and Development at CPD58 which centered on strengthening alliances to address inequalities in SRHR and advancing an inclusive approach that promotes health and development for all. 

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