Gcobisa Madlolo, an activist, a writer and a fresh, inspiring and powerful voice for young women in South Africa. Madlolo is a leading SRHR advocate from South Africa, a PrEP activist, winning the 2018 Omololu Falobi Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention Research Award and an expert in HIV prevention research.
She’s a real powerhouse, and truly the present and future of women’s HIV prevention advocacy. Gcobisa grabs every opportunity to share her PrEP journey.
In South Africa and beyond, this powerful and inspirational young woman is setting a new standard for young women’s reproductive health advocacy.
She drives the agenda by advocating in communities where young women have limited resources to share, and inspire and encourage them to make the right health choices.

Ms Itumeleng Motlhabane social activist from the rural province of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. Her current position is a youth organiser for Equal Education (EE), a democratic youth movement in South Africa. At the University of Fort Hare, she studied Industrial Psychology and Business Management for her Bachelor of Commerce and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Management. As a champion of human rights, Itumeleng is committed to expanding her knowledge and civic skills post-university by obtaining a certificate in Just Lead at the University of Stellenbosch. She is also a Young African Leadership Institute (YALI) certified in Civic Leadership. In addition, she became a member of Activate! in 2019, part of the Fort Hare Autumn school for social democracy funded by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
Itumeleng’s activism focuses on thematic fields like education, gender, and public health. She is involved in community work such as peer education at Helping Hands Health Care Centre and coordinated Emhlangeni CAN, aiming to emancipate young people in poor communities. Since 2019, she has been part of the youth cohort of Africa free of new HIV infections (AfNHi), an African network for HIV prevention and research. The International Partnership for Microbicides recognised her efforts in advocating for SRHR. Her SRHR experiences are shared on Inside My Purse, a blog for adolescents to share their stories about SRHR. She is also a member of the European Commission’s Youth Sounding Board. To maximise the participation of global youth in international partnerships, this board will advise the European Commission. Itumeleng continues to strengthen the voices of young people in marginalised communities until a significant number of young people run our state.

A well-connected Ugandan development leader with experience in advocacy and lobbying, plus experience in program management and trans health advocacy, Anna Xwexx Morena is a well-known and experienced trans advocate.

Through SRHR programs, advocacy, and capacity-building, Morena worked with civil society organizations in democratic and post-conflict settings to change attitudes, beliefs, policies, and practices.

Transgender rights organizations deserve support and opportunities that enhance their influence and impact.

Young Nigerian advocate for Harm Reduction & HIV Prevention, EGHAGHE JAMES OSAMUDIA, strives to improve effective community engagement in biomedical research for young people with HIV, especially those who inject drugs.
He has used various advocacy media to advocate for the inclusion of young people and key populations in Nigeria’s Harm Reduction HIV and SRH agenda. Osamudia is also a member of The New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS); Africa Free of New HIV Initiative Youth Forum (AfNHi), and International AIDS Society (IAS).

MUNASHE MHAKA is a Zimbabwean mechanical engineer with an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for advocacy. She is a member of the AFNHI Youth Cohort and the SAYWHAT organisation.
She has also appeared as a panellist on a national TV show, “Mai Chisamba”, and has written articles for local and international publications advocating for young people..

Furthermore, she serves as a youth trainer for Student Connect Trust (SCOT), as well as a programs officer for the Yamurai Women Empowerment Group (YAWEG) where she volunteers to empower women and young people.

A 24-year-old Ugandan, Winnie Akidi Adile has a degree in information technology science from the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology and a diploma in citizen journalism for media dialogue. Using her expertise in technology, she was a foundation robotics trainer under the peer-to-peer tech robotics annual camp where she trained and empowered over 800 young people with IT skills.
Her other honours include the Top 40 under 40 International Leading Youth Africa awards in the area of Youth Empowerment with the Make Me Elegant Foundation as well as a Generation Democracy fellow with IRIGlobal.
Winnie is a Communications Specialist working in SRHR and is passionate about ending teenage pregnancies in Uganda and advocating social change among young people and students. She is an advocate for girl child rights and gender equality in Uganda.
Advocating for youth development, health, and community advocacy especially among girls, women, and youth.

Winnie founded WEtalk Series Uganda (www.wetalkseries.org) in 2018, a female-led and -focused event series that provides a platform for young people to share their perspectives.
She contributes to sustainable development in Africa by creating documentary films featuring a sign language component that will inspire positive change and encourage civic participation.

Previously, she was a Youth Ambassador for AfriYAN Uganda Rise to end teenage pregnancy
and child marriages under the UNFPA and AFriYAN Uganda network.

Modesta Charles Malagila is a 24-year-old from Tanzania. Currently enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine program at the University of Dodoma, which is located in Dodoma, Tanzania. Modesta conducts HIV prevention research and advocacy in Africa as a member of AFNHi’s Youth Cohort.

By advocating for prevention research and advocacy in her country and on the continent, she hopes to see Africa free of new HIV infections. Assuring that this vision is realized is her burning desire.

Osadebamwen Nibokun is a Nigerian practitioner of public health focused on teen and young women’s health, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, family planning and legal issues.

She graduated from the University of Lagos in Nigeria with a Bachelor of Botany degree and has six years of experience in the development sector. Moreover, she holds a Masters in Public Health from the same university, which focuses on improving the health of communities through education, exploring policy-making, evaluation, and research for disease and prevention in Africa.

Saidy Brown is a South African 26-year-old woman born with HIV. As a 14-year-old, she discovered her HIV status and has used social media to educate others about HIV. As a strong advocate, she participated in the youth plenary at the 8th South African Aids Conference in Durban in 2017 and opened the event with a piece she wrote when she was 18 called ‘An Open Letter To HIV”.

As part of the Youth Reference Group for the Virology HIV & Adolescence workshop, she works with a network for South African young people living with HIV called Y+ South Africa.

She recently became one of the 25×25 young leaders for She Decides Global. She also has a YouTube channel that she uses to educate and enlighten people about HIV. She was named one of the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans for the year 2018 and was recently named a brand ambassador for Inside My Purse. Her work aims to show those who feel hopeless that there is life after HIV.

Patrick Sseremba is a Ugandan social entrepreneur and a dental surgeon. His non-profit organization Weekly Medic Ltd. provides mobile dental and medical care to Uganda’s underserved communities. Additionally, he founded Sparkle Agro-brands, which produces anti-mosquito skincare lotions from stale milk.

As an advocate for health, Patrick believes that stories can be used to influence the mental health of marginalized communities and individuals.

Victoria Quaynor is a Ghanaian who is especially passionate about girls’ education and empowering girls to make informed decisions about their bodies and lives. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication from the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
Victoria has volunteered with WiLDAF Ghana, DBA network with Vodafone, Peace Jam, the 7th Africa Conference on Reproductive Health and Rights, and the 2nd Adolescent Reproductive Health Summit. In 2019-2020, she worked as an intern for UNICEF Ghana. Contributing to child-friendly versions of Child and Family Welfare Policy and Justice for Children’s Policy.

Yusuph Mkonda is an expert in community and social development who has worked in Tanzania for more than four years. His degree in Community and Development Studies is from Ardhi University. His participation in Digital Opportunity Trust Organization’s Community Leadership Program allows him to enhance his digital skills to develop business and social entrepreneurship.
Through his experience working with social institutions, he has developed skills in engaging more with governmental and non-governmental organizations and gaining more knowledge about sexual health, entrepreneurship, and policies. As an active change agent in his community and a member of the larger community, he believes in and supports youth inclusion and support. The development and welfare of young people excite him more.