Writing with Juliet Iwelunmor

Young people do not need adult-centric rules. They need you to see them in all their diversity. To listen and learn from them to. Not as afterthought. Not with limited voices. But with wisdom and grace for the lives they lead. I have always known young people to be creative, resourceful, with informed ideas that can lead to change. If you are lost, find a young person. If you don’t know, a young person will. And if all you do is leave when it ends, then try try and build the capacity of a young person. They will keep things moving all on their own. Their participation in any research is vital. But participation will never be enough if it doesn’t come with genuine, tailored support. Will you fail? Yes. You will fail with getting this right the first time. But at least you are there and if you take the time to listen to them, the odds of getting it right the next time increases.

This piece above by Zvandiri youth advocates inspired my thoughts for today. I am in a phase where I plan to get so many things right this time around. As great as the first phase was, it occurred with minimal support from an institution who preyed on my naiveness and a heavy dose of exhaustion. To think that things would have been different if the institution actually knew our worth. But I digress and am so grateful for change. But the old phase, also meant that we didn’t do enough listening and learning as young people genuinely need and deserve. But this time around, with support and grace, we plan to get things right. Will we still fail. Certainly, but we commit to listening and learning and getting out of the way so young people lead in the health decisions that affect their lives. I look forward to this next phase with zeal.