What do you(th) think?

Ruth Kiniaru is a law student at the Kenya School of Law. She serves as the Advocacy Officer at Bar Hostess Empowerment and Support Program (BHESP) which focuses on matters surrounding female sex workers, women who have sex with women and women who inject drugs. She is a Human Rights Defender who is passionate about issues related to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights as well as laws and policies surrounding adolescent and young girls in sex work.

In this conversation, Ruth talks about the laws and policies governing the implementation of ASRH programs targeted at adolescent girls and young women, Kenya’s cultural landscape and how it affects her work and access to sexual and reproductive health information for adolescent girls and young women involved in sex work.

Find HCDExchange and Uninhibited on social media

Priyanka Bhardwaj is a Program Manager with Uninhibited (formerly, Sukhibhava Foundation) where she manages the ‘Hello Saathi’ helpline, a free menstrual and sexual reproductive health telehealth platform. She is also a Period Fellow and works on the PeriodShala project in communities around Bhopal. PeriodShala is an on-the-ground behavioral change program that enables menstruators and their families to make informed choices, dialogue and bridge healthcare gaps. Priyanka has a degree in English Honours from Delhi University. She spends her free time with her dogs or making art.

In this conversation, Priyanka talks about how to facilitate and create the space for families to have conversations around sexual and reproductive health, how she uses HCD in her ASRH work and the challenges of using the HCD approach particularly in adolescent sexual reproductive health projects.

Find HCDExchange and Uninhibited on social media

Elezer Berhanu is a fifth year medical student at Tikur Anbessa (Black Lion) Specialized Hospital. He serves as a Youth Council with the Talent Youth Association and also has engagements in Rotary International as a Rotaractor, World Youth Alliance (WYA) and International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA). He is a human rights enthusiast who is passionate about issues related to sexual and reproductive health and rights as well as meaningful and inclusive youth participation.

In this conversation, Elezer highlights his definition of meaningful youth engagement, how young people should take the reins of solution design for ASRH issues and how he juggles several commitments while keeping sexual and reproductive health rights at the center.

Find HCDExchange and Talent Youth Association on social media

Miranda Ekema Ndolo is a young activist who believes that community-centred movements can change the world. She has worked in HIV prevention and care in Cameroon and advocates for the rights of adolescent girls and young women to enjoy access to HIV services and their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Miranda works as the Programme Officer for Women4GlobalFund and is a member of the Global Fund Community Rights and Gender Advisory Group and a member of the Global Fund Advocates Speakers Bureau. She previously served as the HER Voice Fund Ambassador for Cameroon with her work cutting across HIV, TB and malaria.

Miranda holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing and is currently pursuing a Postgraduate diploma in Public Health at the University of Pretoria.

In this conversation, Miranda shares moments where she’s felt proud of her work in ASRH, what to do in instances where you encounter misinformation and what got her to start working with adolescent girls and young women in the first place.

Find HCDExchange and Miranda Ekema Ndolo on social media