Simunye, Eswatini, 19-25 May 2024 — Thirty young leaders from across Eastern and Southern Africa participated in the second iteration of the READY Academy to empower and build their capacity to address emerging health-related issues in a complex but ever-challenging anti-rights landscape.
The week-long capacity-building program featured carefully selected course content tailored to the region's emerging health and rights priorities among adolescents and young people. Hosted by Y+ Global, Frontline AIDS, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the READY Academy 2.0 received support from the regional Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands (EKN) in Mozambique through the READY program.
“This is a monumental time for all of us. We are here to reflect on the issues that are impacting our communities and how young people can play a role in HIV and SRH responses. We must protect young people in all their diversity and empower them as leaders,”
Maximina Jokonya - Executive Director of Y+ Global
In her commencement speech, Tumie Komanyane from Frontline AIDS also reflected on the movement’s growth since its inception in 2016.
“The READY Movement has grown significantly over the years, and we can see the impact it had on strengthening youth leadership on HIV and SRH responses within the African region. We brought back young people from the very first READY Academy to help teach and take part in the training. This is about movement building and mentorship,”
Tumie Komanyane - Frontline AIDS
Each day of the Academy featured interactive and technical sessions. Leading experts from organisations like Frontline AIDS, UNDP, and Aidsfonds walked participants through critical issues such as safety, security and risks, the anti-gender movement and its Impact on the HIV response, rising conservatism and the future of advocacy in action and accountability and what it is and how it plays out (or not) in our lives.
During the core and thematic sessions, participants took part in group discussions, interactive games, and contests to devise creative ways to help young people meaningfully engage in HIV and sexual and reproductive health responses, which is the cornerstone of the READY program.
"The discussion on health, gender, sex, and sexuality helped me realise that as advocates, we need to understand our values, principles, and our communities' perspectives. We must become better listeners, see things from others’ viewpoints, and explore the most effective ways to find solutions, advocate, and bring about change."
A READY Movement Leader
Tumie Komanyane announced a seed grant challenge at the beginning of the long training week to encourage young people to build experience with proposal and concept note development. At the end of the academy, up to five prizes, totalling USD 2000 would be awarded to young advocates, with the best proposal to address the emerging needs of young people on various health-related issues.
A significant focus of the academy, where the program was conceived around strengthening youth capacity to counter the anti-gender movement, Oratile Moseki from Frontline AIDS highlighted the importance of youth involvement in human rights conversations and the critical role of young people in tackling the anti-rights movements. Participants were cautioned to critically assess those who claim to be human rights defenders.
Dr Vuyiseka Dubula, Head of The Global Fund Community Rights and Gender Department, emphasised the importance of building alliances and empowering youth leadership to counter the anti-rights movement. She highlighted the need for a broad movement of young people to advance the HIV and SRH movement.
“The Global Fund is clear: health equity is unattainable if human and gender rights are not protected. We currently support over 100 countries in key programs addressing human rights. Still, countries must go beyond providing just the essentials and protect all people's rights, especially in places where key populations are not legally protected. We need to use the current crisis to generate momentum for change. You are here and will be here for the next 40 years. You have an important role to play,”
Dr Vuyiseka Dubula - Head of The Global Fund Community Rights and Gender Department
Y+ Global's Joyce Ouma, Senior Programme Officer and READY Manager, led a session on movement-building, the core pillar of the READY Movement. Participants learned about the READY to Evolve Strategy and topics related to social change, non-linear approaches to movement-building, and fostering awareness, solidarity, and empowerment.
The training also included a field visit to Mbabane. They started by visiting the CANGO to learn about the Eswatini Stigma Index and zero-discrimination interventions. This field visit provided insights into how community interventions contribute to achieving global goals and how other organisations can implement the Stigma Index findings within their programmes and own initiatives.
The READY Academy 2.0 concluded with a beautiful graduation ceremony, during which participants received certificates of completion. In the end, seed grants were awarded to the five young advocates from Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, who had the best proposals.
"I would like to thank the READY Academy and the faculty for giving us a chance to be part of the training and the movement and to learn and build our skills. Opportunities like this are rare. I am walking away from this experience feeling stronger and better equipped to deal with the issues that matter most to us and our health. We are more than READY,"
A READY Movement Leader
Y+ Global would like to express its appreciation to the participants, partners, and the READY team for making the Academy a success. A special thanks to Frontline AIDS, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, UNDP, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, UNFPA, CANGO, and the Swaziland Network of Young Positives for their continued support.
