The impact of COVID-19 will have an irreversible effect on progress that has been made if governments do not redouble their efforts and move forward with ever greater commitment to adolescent wellbeing. What is needed – now more than ever – is greater economic investment and infrastructure development in health, education, technology and protection while ensuring the involvement of young people in the policy discourse.

This is the outcome of an exploratory study undertaken by MIET AFRICA and the Human Science Research Council (HSRC), the report of which was recently launched.

Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, some progress had been made in improving adolescents and young peoples’ lives, although economic inequalities meant that the benefits had not been enjoyed by all young people. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has not only exacerbated challenges experienced by the most vulnerable but has made every young person vulnerable.

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Youth participation in community development is one of the most effective ways to promote young people’s active engagement in sustainable development. Murape Secondary School is showing that this is so, especially when it comes to climate change.

Although young people should be responsible for shaping their future as leaders of tomorrow, in many communities their participation is often limited to their labour contribution, and ignores the importance of their participation in decision-making, choices, and management.

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What do boys and young men need? The best way to find out is to ask them!

This is precisely what happened at the boys’ vulnerability dialogue sessions at Ngowe and Natola Community Day Secondary schools in Malawi, on 22 and 25 June, 2021.

The sessions were organised by the FutureLife-Now! programme in its quest to include young boys and men in programmes in an attempt to address the impact of gender disparities in society.

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Three days of intensive interactions has significantly strengthened the linkages between Lesotho’s 10 FutureLife-Now! schools and their nearby health facilities.

FutureLife-Now! Country Manager, Rantsane Kuleile, said that the main purpose of the development of a referral system was to ensure leaners in all 10 schools were aware and able to access care in supportive, friendly health facilities.

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Mwembeshi Boarding Secondary school is a role model for all schools in Zambia in terms of its agricultural production unit.

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This guide was developed by MIET AFRICA to guide SADC Ministries of Education and their schools in taking the necessary steps to build schools that are rights-based, inclusive and supportive. It is intended to support schools to operationalise the SADC Policy Framework on Care and Support for Teaching and Learning (CSTL), and provides answers to the why, how, what and who questions related to building the foundations of CSTL schools. The process has been informed by MIET AFRICA’s extensive experience gained over many years in the implementation of CSTL programmes across the SADC region.

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Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, sub-Saharan Africa was at risk of not achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The pandemic has reversed gains and deepened poverty, social exclusion and access to critical services. Further, it has adversely impacted socioeconomic, environmental and political conditions which will have a significant impact on children’s rights to develop their full potential.

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