Using Social Media to Reach Young People
Internet and social media have become integrated into our lives, and there is an entire generation that has grown up with the knowledge of social media platforms for gathering and sharing information of concern. This includes information around the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young people.
Cross Section of Youth Social Media Advocates
Between 10th and 12h July, with funding from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Nigeria, Education as a Vaccine in collaboration with Youth Hub Africa trained 40 youth advocates under the Youth Social Media Advocates (YSMA) Program who would promote UNFPA’s mandate in Nigeria.
The three days intensive training was organised to train the young advocates who will use social media as an effective tool and strategy to raise awareness, share impact stories, and connect with relevant stakeholders to drive social change within UNFPA Nigeria’s areas of work.
The highlights of the training included on identifying strategic social media platforms, understanding tips for successful engagement, developing advocacy campaign, as well as developing key messages and related activities to support the implementation of their social media strategies.
The hashtag adopted for the campaign is #YSMANG, and would be used to connect youth to information around young people’s sexual and reproductive health, as well as issues around various forms of violence in Nigeria.
Addressing the participants at the end of the training, Bem Alugh, Team Leader Individual and Community Capacity Strengthening, EVA stressed the need for the participants to be advocates for a sane community conducive for young
people, especially girl and young women’s sexual and reproductive health and right. “We know that young people are doing so much to promote their sexual and reproductive health, including rights & tackle gender-based violence in their communities. We want you to harness the skills you have acquired to make a difference via social media and in your community”, he said.
“I hope I would be able to go out there, impact the knowledge I have learnt on other people so that we can all have a better society”. These are the words of Amina Muhammad from Sokoto, one of our Youth Social Media Advocates.
All our Youth Social Media Advocates inspire us! From chatting with them to making big commitments to ending gender-based violence, we make a resolve that ending all forms of violence, including against girls and young women is a collective effort.
By: Bayo Olanrewaju Ewuola
Education as a Vaccine 
