1st HALF 2025 Newsletter
- Fatmah Suleyman
- Aug 1
- 7 min read
Dive in! We're recapping Mid-Year Impact(Jan–June 2025).
WOW! It's already halfway through the year!
Grab your glasses and join us as we recap how the first half of the year went for us in the projects that we run, the events that we participated in, the impacts we made in numbers.
ELEVATE ACCESS TO SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH & RIGHTS (SRHR)
Improving access to Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) and Post-Abortion Care (PAC)
Strengthening Community Access to Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) and Post-Abortion Care (PAC)
Over the past half, we implemented targeted interventions to improve access to CAC and PAC services in underserved communities. Our efforts focused on addressing stigma, improving care-seeking behaviors, and strengthening referral systems. Specifically:
Community Sensitization: We engaged local leaders and key community stakeholders to raise awareness about the importance of accessible, non-judgmental CAC/PAC services. These conversations helped clarify misconceptions and fostered more open dialogue on reproductive health.
Intergenerational Dialogues: By facilitating safe spaces for discussion across age groups, we tackled deeply rooted stigma and empowered both young people and elders to become advocates for respectful and timely care.
Health Systems Strengthening: We collaborated with local health facilities and civil society organizations to co-create a community-responsive referral and follow-up mechanism, ensuring that individuals seeking CAC/PAC services receive continued support and care
Our Impact: Shifting Mindsets, Strengthening Partnerships
Our work has started to transform attitudes and systems in meaningful ways. The collective efforts of community dialogues, sensitization sessions, and health system engagement have led to notable shifts:
Growing Awareness and Openness: Adolescents and community members are now more informed and willing to openly discuss issues around Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC), Post-Abortion Care (PAC), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), and mental health.
Reducing Stigma: There has been a visible decline in stigma, particularly among local and religious leaders and elders. Many of them—once hesitant or resistant—are now showing increased empathy and support for young people seeking post-abortion care.
Strengthened Collaboration: Youth groups, civil society organizations, and local leaders are now actively working together to co-design youth-friendly health interventions. This collaborative spirit is fostering sustainable, community-driven solutions that prioritize the needs of young people.
BRIGHT PROJECT : TABORA
Empowering Youth Through Community-Led Action Through the BRIGHT Project.
We continued our mission to build healthier, more informed communities by placing adolescents at the center of change. Our key activities included:
Community Engagement for Accountability: We conducted 418 Community Score Card (CSC) and Site Walk Through (SWT) review meetings, bringing together adolescents, community members, school staff, and healthcare providers to assess and improve the quality of services.
Support for Local Health Providers: We provided technical, financial, and verification support to Community-Based Health Service Providers (CBHSPs), ensuring they could deliver effective, youth-responsive services.
Peer Education and Outreach: We facilitated the formation of peer groups and organized targeted outreach sessions to build knowledge around SRHR, nutrition, and life skills, empowering young people to make informed choices.
Youth Leadership Development: Adolescent champions received mentorship to lead youth-friendly dialogues and community action planning, amplifying youth voices and ownership in health programming.
Policy and Systems Collaboration: In partnership with MoH, MoEST, PORALG, and Council Health Management Teams (CHMTs), we supported joint supervision and worked to integrate SRHR into training curricula, strengthening systems for long-term impact.
Promoting Gender Equity and Safe Spaces: We advanced gender-transformative approaches, behavior change interventions (BCI), and helped establish youth-friendly corners in both schools and health facilities to improve access and comfort for adolescents.
Our General Objectives
The BRIGHT Project is grounded in a vision of adolescent health that is inclusive, community-driven, and sustainable. Our overarching goals are to:
Strengthen Community Accountability: Enhance community-led and participatory monitoring to ensure adolescent health services are responsive, effective, and youth-centered.
Provide Targeted Support: Offer direct technical, financial, and mentorship support to both adolescents and Community-Based Health Service Providers (CBHSPs), improving service quality and accessibility.
Promote Integrated, Gender-Responsive Services: Advance the delivery of integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and nutrition services that are sensitive to gender dynamics and tailored to the diverse needs of adolescents.
YOUNG MOTHERS PROGRAM ( DAR ES SALAAM, MAKETE & LUDEWA)
Uplifting Young Mothers through Mentorship, Support, and Economic Empowerment
Through the Young Mothers Project with the support of We Are Purposeful, we are committed to creating an environment where young mothers are seen, heard, and supported. Our work with the young mothers will focus on building their confidence, skills, and community connections.
Specifically, we:
Deliver Mentorship & Life Skills Training: Conduct tailored sessions to equip young mothers with critical life skills, boosting their self-esteem, communication, and decision-making capacity.
Create Safe Peer Learning Spaces: Facilitate inclusive spaces where young mothers could connect, share experiences, and receive psychosocial support, helping reduce isolation and stigma.
Strengthen Access to Services: Link participants with community-based SRHR and nutrition services, ensuring their holistic health needs are met through trusted referral pathways.
Foster Leadership & Advocacy: Empower the young mothers to step into leadership roles and become change agents, advocating for their rights and supporting others in their communities.
TANZANIA MENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT
The Young and Alive Initiative proudly participated in the 2025 Tanzania Mental Health Summit in
Kahama, ShInyanga, a dynamic space that brought together youth leaders, funders, policymakers, and mental health practitioners from across the region. Our team actively contributed to national learning and advocacy efforts, highlighting the voices and innovations of young people.
KEY TAKE AWAYS
Youth leadership must be at the heart of mental health reforms.
Stigma reduction tools—such as Swahili-language board games, peer-led chats, and mobile apps—are powerful, culturally resonant interventions.
Multi-sectoral coordination is essential to achieving sustainable, nationwide mental health outcomes.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Joined the Being Tanzania Learning Day, engaging in vibrant discussions with youth champions, mental health experts, and development partners.
Shared our grassroots experiences and youth-led solutions during interactive breakout sessions, bringing visibility to community-based mental health work.
Expanded our regional impact by entering into a new partnership with CCU–Uganda under the ORASS Mental Health Project, reinforcing our commitment to cross-border collaboration.
NATIONAL CONVENING TO ADVANCE SRHR AMONG ADOLSCENT GIRLS AND WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE TANZANIA
Theme”Breaking Barriers :Amplify voices, unifying Actions Advancing SRHR Justice”
A national meeting was held bringing together stakeholders from government, civil society and young people in order to improve access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services for girls and women. The meeting focused on youth engagement, sharing best experiences and pushing for inclusive policies that protects the sexual and reproductive health rights of vulnerable groups.
Key Highlights:
Develop strategies for addressing stigma, gender-based violence and harmful cultural practices such as FGM.
Youth-Led Voices Amplified as girls and young people led discussions, emphasizing the need for inclusive and youth friendly SRHR services.
Stakeholders from government, civil society, the private sector and health providers committed to stronger partnership to improve SRHR.
The convening marked a significant step toward advancing reproductive justice and health rights for adolescents girls and women across Tanzania. Through collective advocacy, evidence-based action and inclusive partnership, the country moves closer to breaking systemic barriers and ensuring that every girl and woman can access her full SRHR ( Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights )entitlements. #CAMMAC
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP & COLLABORATIONS
At Young and Alive Initiative (YAI), we believe in the power of collective action. Strengthening partnerships is at the heart of our mission to amplify youth voices and improve health outcomes.
This quarter, we’re proud to share the growth of our collaborative efforts:
Cross-Border Mental Health Advocacy: We formalized a new partnership with CCU–Uganda under the ORASS Project, marking a significant step forward in regional collaboration for youth-led mental health advocacy.
Community-Level Engagement: We continue to work closely with local health facilities, youth groups, and regional civil society organizations (CSOs) to co-design and deliver responsive, youth-friendly services.
Policy Engagement: YAI actively participated in national-level advocacy discussions, contributing youth perspectives to the development of the National Mental Health Strategy and frameworks that promote youth participation in decision-making.
IMPACTS
Our work continues to drive meaningful, measurable change in the lives of young people and their communities.
Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve achieved in just six months:
418+ community monitoring sessions conducted through CSC and SWT tools
40+ young mothers supported with integrated SRHR and livelihood mentoring
1,000+ adolescents directly reached via peer groups, dialogues, and outreach sessions
As we move into the second half of the year, the Young and Alive Initiative remains committed to scaling impact, fostering youth leadership, and deepening regional collaboration. Here’s what’s on the horizon:
LOOKING AHEAD
🚀 Launch of the ORASS Mental Health Initiative
In partnership with CCU–Uganda, we’ll kick off a regional mental health program focused on youth-led advocacy and healing-centered support.
🌍 Expansion to New Districts
We plan to establish and support youth peer groups and mentorship programs in two new districts, bringing SRHR, mental health, and life skills closer to underserved communities.
📖 Telling Our Stories
Success stories from the Elevate Access and BRIGHT Projects will be documented and published, showcasing the journeys, challenges, and wins of youth changemakers.
💻 Digital Innovation for Health Access
We’re introducing digital platforms and tools to make it easier for young people to access SRHR and mental health information, mentorship, and referral services—right from their phones.
🤝 Cross-Border Youth Collaboration
Building on regional momentum, we’ll initiate joint learning sessions with youth groups in neighboring countries like Uganda, fostering solidarity and shared solutions across borders.
Can you guess what’s next? We’re about to unveil something special!"
Event: Many have questions about the YAI Summit. Yes, it started in 2022, and we’ve kept the momentum going through 2023 and 2024. And guess what?
We’re bringing it back in 2025 “bigger, bolder, and better
Get ready: “more partners, more style, more strength, and a bigger movement than ever before”
Project : We keep staying in our tract and deep dive in our approaches . Guess what we are will bring you more of “Youth-led advocacy and accountability,Innovative programs ,Interactive social and behavior change approaches, Capacity building and movement strengthening Knowledge Management, Research, and Learning.”
Stay along and be part of support
Collaboration: We still call for more collaboration with different partners for more impactful change as we focus on placing young people, especially adolescents at the heart of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), nutrition, and social development efforts.
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