Why I’m standing in solidarity with young people in Uganda
Lauren from our youth advisory panel explains how campaigning can make a difference
My name is Lauren and I am one of 24 members of the Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) here at Plan International UK.
We are the voice of young people for the organisation. We provide a youth perspective, advise on how to engage with young people and ensure that young people are at the heart of everything Plan International UK does.
Standing with young people in Uganda
Earlier this year, I stood with youth advocates Faridah, Fiona and Rowlings, to help stop the sexual exploitation of girls at work in Uganda.
Together with other YAP members, I helped to create this solidarity video, to show the girls in Uganda that we support them:
It takes courage, when nothing is changing and no-one is listening, to stay hopeful. As young people, we know that thousands of global voices standing behind you always makes a difference.
That’s why we thought creating a video would be the perfect way to show the youth advocates in Uganda, and the girls affected by sexual exploitation, that they’re not alone.
Our messages – together with the support of thousands of you who signed Faridah, Fiona and Rowlings’ letter to the government – are a powerful way to let the young people of Uganda know that people across the world want to end this awful abuse of power.
We may not be in Uganda to physically stand with them, but by being part of this solidarity video and writing messages of support, I hope we will have encouraged Faridah, Fiona and Rowlings to continue to campaign for girls’ rights.
Strength in solidarity
Working with the Youth Advisory Panel makes me feel that I am part of something bigger – and that standing in solidarity with other young people really does make a difference.
There are millions of young people around the world who want to end gender inequality and the exploitation of girls. No matter who they are or where they live, they will continue to stand with each other to make a difference.
We all have a common goal. The more people that stand with young people, the louder our voices will be.
