Zeituna is an activist and youth advocate who holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and International Relations from Egerton University. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in International Studies from the University of Nairobi and is a 2020 YALI Fellow. She envisions creating effective safe spaces for young people and women and is the founder of Dress for Change Initiative, a youth and women-led initiative that started in Isiolo County, Kenya in 2019. The initiative came to be as a result of Zeituna’s passion and mission to contribute to the existing community outreach initiatives that seek to address challenges relating to Menstrual Hygiene Management, Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights & Female Genital Mutilation. Dress for Change addresses these challenges by holding outreaches to in-school adolescents in primary schools, providing young girls with information on MHM and the negative effects of FGM/C alongside donating sanitary towels to vulnerable young girls.
Zeituna is also focused on amplifying the voices of women and girls by equipping them with knowledge on their sexual reproductive health and rights, to have agency over and make informed decisions on their bodies and for them also to resist negative cultural practices that are harmful to their well-being and personal development. She continues to advocate for safe spaces for women and girls, free from violence and retrogressive cultural practices.
Jackline Waweru Wanjiru, is a 26-year-old global youth advocate and changemaker on Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights and Gender Equality. She is passionate about policy and budget advocacy and has been able to influence governments at local, national and international platforms to address youth policy issues. Ms Waweru was recently awarded at the IYD 2020 celebrations for being an outstanding youth champion in Kilifi South Sub-county, contributing towards youth development.
She is a Young African Leader Initiative (YALI) Cohort 11 Alumni and also took part in the first season of the MS PRESIDENT reality show and was among the top 12 contestants among 71 from all over Kenya. In 2018 she was the first youth representative in a health sectorial meeting at the fifth annual national devolution conference. In 2016, she represented African Girls and young people at the European Union Parliament to advocate for youth prioritization in national commitments that African countries make with the EU.
Felix Lekurchalan is a Bachelor’s degree holder in Sustainable Human Development from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He has more than 5 years’ experience in Peace Education and Conflict resolution in Pastoralist Communities in Northern Kenya, research issues on corruption and the challenges facing service delivery and devolved governance in Kenya. Further, he is proficient in budget advocacy, sexual and reproductive health rights and policy advocacy, not forgetting project management and fundraising in Network Empowering Samburu Transformation (NEST). While serving as the NEST project manager, he has facilitated project implementation and support services, including fundraising, preparation of reports and briefs, coordinating resources, and monitoring and evaluation of project plans. He currently serves as the Peace Coordinator for the Social Ministry Research Network Centre (SOMIRENEC) in Isiolo County and as the secretary for the Samburu Youth Advocacy Network (SYAN), a consortium of different youth-led organizations in Samburu County. Felix is also a Siasa Place Youth Volunteer representative for Samburu County.
Martha Lusweti is a social development practitioner with over six years’ experience in social programs that promote the sustainable development of women and youth. She is also the co-founder of SADEN, a community-based organization that focuses on the socio-economic empowerment of teenage mothers to be skilled, informed and confident; through vocational and life skills training. Previously, she worked at Sabon Africa Development Network, a Pan-African youth-led organization that promotes meaningful youth participation in Africa’s development. Currently, she runs a consultancy firm that aims to improve youth earning capacity through entrepreneurial and vocational skills training. Martha has been engaged in various projects strengthening SRH systems across communities in Kenya and East Africa. She is also a Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) 2018 fellow.
Alfred Sigo is a youth leader and community health volunteer working with the Pwani Youth Network, of which he is also the founder and CEO. For the past 7 years, he has been working in the health sector, contributing to improved service delivery, community health advocacy and most recently, social accountability and social audits in health facilities. His work mainly entails championing for better health among adolescents, youth and women in Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale, as well as advancing the youth agenda for better policy change and implementation to improve their health and socioeconomic status. He is also a member of the Kenya Red Cross, the Global Opportunity Youth Network, Amnesty Kenya and the Change-maker Agenda by the United Nations.
Faith Opiyo is a youth advocate on issues of sexual reproductive health and rights, with a special focus on sexual and gender-based violence. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Gender and Development Studies having completed a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Political Science. She is the founder of the Centre for Young Women Empowerment (CYWE) a registered community-based organization in Kenya Soweto slums that deals with empowerment of youth and adolescent girls with keen inclusion of boys on matters of sexual and reproductive health, gender and life skills. Further, she is a proud holder of the global Velji Young African Award for the work she has done with young women. She is the current Chairperson of the Youth Advisory Panel to UNFPA (YAP-UNFPA) and is a member of the Youth Steering Committee at UN Women ESARO
Noel Museshi Murunga, fondly referred to as Seshi, is a 22-year old global health enthusiast, known for her happy go lucky, bubbly, and energetic nature that is second to none! When she is not in class in pursuit of becoming a Public Health practitioner, she is either nurturing herself and/or others through various self-development activities or trying hard to make the most out of her life by having numerous adventures. She is passionate about health, specifically sexual and reproductive health and access to health for all, and believes that she can shine a light, in a society with retrogressive beliefs on matters Sexual and Reproductive Health. Being a UN Academic Impact Millennium Fellow, and a YALI alumni, she is a leader who strongly believes in upsetting the status quo, as a catalyst for change in society. Currently, she is the Project Coordinator of a dynamic team of young SRHR advocates under Project RESPEKT, a youth-led collaboration between Medical Students in Kenya and IMCC Global(Denmark), that trains teenagers on Comprehensive Sexual Education, with the aim of developing a cohort of teenagers that will act as catalysts in developing a palatable, adaptable and sustainable curriculum on Adolescent Reproductive Health.
Innocent Indeje is an empowered leader motivated by his career objective of creating a safe space for the youth. This is with the aim of building a better tomorrow by empowering today’s youth, socially, culturally and economically with specific respect to matters of their Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights. Innocent is a professional teacher who earned his Bachelor of Education Arts degree and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Education Arts at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.
Through volunteering, Innocent has over the past four years earned significant experience in the facilitation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education in and out of schools, championing for Adolescent and Youth Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, policy and budget advocacy, and socio-economic empowerment of the youth both in and out of school. He also works closely with teen mothers on economic empowerment, training them on how to start small businesses for financial self-sustenance. Innocent is motivated by the fact that everyone has the ability to positively impact their own future irrespective of their current situation.
Sheenan is a seasoned expert in advocacy for sexual reproductive health rights of adolescents and young people. With over 5 years’ experience in SRHR advocacy program design, coordination and implementation, training and oversight. She is a believer in the power of young people, their ability to discern right and impact on changing the world. Over the years she has represented the country with government delegations in international advocacy platforms such as the African commission, the CSW, ICPD ,Africa sustainable development goals forum among others, she has represented the voices of young women, adolescents girls and marginalized groups.
She holds a bachelor of science psychology degree and is currently pursuing a masters in public policy and administration.
She has a girl mentorship program for girls in rural and marginalized communities , to empower and mentor them while providing basic menstrual hygiene materials. She enjoys in her free time African literature ,photography and use of social media for change.
Santa Kagendo Sebastian is a youth leader from Meru County, passionate about youth empowerment and women’s rights, evident through her advocacy work both at local and national level. She is a firm believer in the inclusion of all minority groups in decision-making to promote equality for all. Santa is currently a Youth Programs Coordinator with Family Health Options Kenya in Meru County. In addition, she is the founder and director of the Youth and Women Advocacy Network, a local CBO that gives young people a platform to develop their leadership and programming skills. Her roles include working closely with stakeholders to ensure equitable access to sexual and reproductive health information and services by young people with a special focus on young girls and women.
Ms. Kagendo believes that her training in community development and social work is the foundation of what she does. Further, she is a trainer on advocacy, sexual reproductive health and is a leadership coach. She has also sat in the Youth Action Movement (YAM) national board, under Family Health Options Kenya as the national youth representative for 5 years, advancing meaningful youth engagement and representing the voices of young people nationally on rights based advocacy in SRHR. When not doing her community work, Santa loves travelling, socializing with friends and photography. She uses her love for acting to do “artism” aside from activism. She identifies herself with the lioness for its bravery, strength and loyalty. Her peers call her “boss lady” because she always gets things done!