A journey of 8 years has come to an end!
However, make no mistake the voices still echo on.
As a member of VOICE Global Community of Practice, the Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative (NGYouthSDGs) was specially invited and actively participated in the close-out events that served as a commemoration of 8 years of impactful work by VOICE in Africa. The event was a gathering of civil society organisations, grantees, rightsholders, and representatives from the Embassy of the Netherlands. It involved a wide range of activities from a linking and learning event (LLE) to an exhibition and a gala event which were all held in Niger State and Abuja, Nigeria between Monday, 13th – Friday, 17th of May 2024.
Our team at the VOICE Closeout/exhibition event:
L-R- Ms Ruth Ngoka, NGYouthSDGs Project Manager, Enugu State; Ms Opeyemi Ogundeji, Programme Manager; and Ms Praise Okezie, Communications Associate.
Event Highlights
- Linking and Learning Event (LLE)
From Monday, May 13th to Wednesday 15th May 2024, we were represented by our Programme Manager, Ms Opeyemi Ogundeji at the three-day Linking and Learning event activities held at Zuma Resort in Niger State. This event brought together diverse stakeholders who were VOICE grantees and rightsholders for a series of insightful discussions, collaborative sessions, and networking opportunities aimed at enhancing collective understanding of inclusion and sustaining impacts in our respective organisations.
In line with the activities carried out at the linking and learning, a discussion took place which was centred on Mapping out your learning journey – Highs, Lows and Learnings. This discussion was led by Ms Anne Mulehi, the VOICE Global Communications Officer. She explained the expectations of the discussion to the participants and different groups were formed. In the group where our team was represented by our Programme Manager, Ms Opeyemi Ogundeji, she shared our impact journey story on the Speak Up Stand Out (SUSO) Project.
With this project, NGYouthSDGs built youth leaders to lead and mobilise other young people to advocate for social issues affecting youth in their community. She expressed that the project delivery was centred around equipping these potential youth leaders with the resources and the capacity to improve their leadership capacity and lead social change in their community. Twenty(20) youth activists aged 21-35 were selected, trained, and mentored to lead community projects around four thematic areas; education, governance, employment, and peace & security across Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu states.
- The Exhibition Event
NGYouthSDGs team with the incoming Country Director, OXFAM Nigeria and other participants at the VOICE exhibition event
The event commenced with inspiring messages and reflections from Mr Tijani Ahmed, outgoing Country Director of OXFAM Nigeria, who emphasised the crucial need for promoting inclusion and acknowledged the collective efforts that have led to a significant impact.
Mr Akom Ita, the Programme Director of VOICE Nigeria, and Ms Anne Mulehi, the VOICE Global Communications Officer, took the audience through a thoughtful reflection on the past 8 years, highlighting the impact of VOICE. They shed light on initiatives across Nigeria, such as enhancing air travel accessibility for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) at Abuja Airport in partnership with CARE, economic empowerment projects for women in Plateau state, and also the remarkable activism of 20 Speak Up Stand Out (SUSO) youth advocates who have been championing causes such as quality education, employment, peace, and security, which was implemented by NGYouthSDGs.
The event also featured a speech by Ms Dina Sabi, the political secretary at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria, who underlined the importance of ensuring that every voice should be heard within the community, regardless of volume.
- The Gala Event
A group picture of the NGYouthSDGs Programme Manager with fellow participants of the gala event
For us, it was not only a networking evening but an unforgettable experience filled with rich conversations, delightful dining, and joyous moments of dance and laughter. The evening began with a warm welcome from the distinguished speakers from Cognito, VOICE followed by an open networking session. This event provided us with an opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals and share our organisation’s initiatives for the exploration of positive partnerships.
We applaud VOICE’s stellar coordination of all of these events and are grateful to have been specially invited to be a part of them. The event served as a valuable platform for NGYouthSDGs to learn, engage and connect with other civil society organisations and also provided us with an opportunity to share the impact story of our influential project, the Speak Up Stand Out project funded by VOICE as this initiative was instrumental in amplifying the voices of youth advocates across three different Nigerian states contributing significantly to our efforts towards driving positive change and empowering communities.
