Celebrating Impact: Y4H Project in Ethiopia Concludes with Final Workshop

Three years have passed since the launch of the Youth for Health (Y4H) project as the final key activities are set to progress into the last month of the project. The project will officially conclude on June 30 2025. On 24 May 2025, DSW Ethiopia held a half-day workshop at DSW’s Youth Development Training Center in Bishoftu. This workshop was one of the concluding activities aligned with the project’s original timeline. At the close out event, eight youth champions from the two intervention areas met eight members of the Ethiopian Parliament representing the standing committees of health, gender, finance and budgets. The workshop also brought together decision-makers at the sub-national and district levels, as well as other implementing partner organisations from Marie Stopes International (MSI Ethiopia) and Youth Network for Sustainable Development (YNSD).

“As we had cheered the launches of this project during its inception about three years ago, let’s also celebrate together its close out. When one project is set to end, another may begin somewhere else. That has always been true in nature of every project; however, it is important for us with stakes to focus on the way forward. What we should now embark upon is maintaining momentum in a sustainable manner and upholding the synergistic spirit that has evolved throughout this project. We should remain active on impacting an ownership of the legacy of the good practices attained by the stakeholders and other partners going forward. We are aware of partner organisations such as the Consortium of Reproductive Health Association (CORHA) launching similar undertakings and at this point we strongly urge CORHA to keep up with the replicable practices we have made progress to make a difference,” remarked Feyera Assefa, Country Director of DSW Ethiopia.

He further praised the parliamentarians and other government stakeholders who showed steadfast commitment and remained engaged in advocacy to transform the adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) budget issues for the most part of the project implementation period. “This close out workshop is also used as a platform to disseminate the 3^rd year ASRH budget analysis study findings, which were validated just a couple of months ago in the presence of key stakeholders among whom most of you were present” says Feyera.     

Taking note of Feyera’s optimistic assertion in his opening remarks, Bekelech Bayou – DSW Ethiopia’s Programme Manager, who presented the project’skey outcomes – enthused about the working relationships, level of cooperation and understanding maintained among each stakeholder in just three years of advocacy engagement. “This project has been an opportunity to influence an increase in ASRH budget allocations and ways to explore alternative funding landscape from local sources for adolescents SRH wellbeing,” Bekelech says. Aligned to each of the three budget analysis studies, which was earlier disseminated across the relevant stakeholders, Bekelech emphasised on the strength of the findings from which evidence-based “advocacy asks” were drawn for the youth champions to pursue their engagements at all levels.

“Generally, the studies and the outcomes of the project taught us that the ASRH budget issue has been significantly influenced by advocacy. However, the absence of a specific budget line remains a challenge that requires further advocacy, as it should be assigned to the ASRH budget disbursement to ensure the accountability and sustainability of the ASRH budget allocations,” Bekelech concludes her presentation, inviting the youth champions to share their experiences. 

“Being empowered not only instills a sense of self-worth and boosts our purpose in life by furthering our engagement but also can bring the ability to think beyond ourselves by advocating on behalf of millions of other adolescents and youth. Courtesy of the Youth for Health project, the process in which we have been mentored and empowered to become champions of our own cause over the past three years has transformed the effects on our understanding and perception of a healthy world around us. Because I never had thought that I would be able to sit and engage in advocacy with rigor and enthusiasm in front of decision makers and parliamentarians at various levels of government structures. I am an empowered girl now and being a champion who has already nurtured a virtue investing for my better future,” Mitiol Zerihun Zeleke, female adolescent champion in Shashemene.

“Every time I have participated in advocacy workshops convened by DSW, I have learned more about how empowered youth champions can advance an issue related to the ASRH budget through persuasion, making the subject in question a matter of common sense. I realise that this project has provided a great deal of substance for those of us in Parliament, not only in terms of increasing the ASRH budget allocation, but also in terms of supporting the sustainability of advocacy actions based on the project’s outcomes” This impression was expressed by Hon. Issa Boru, a member of the House of Peoples’ Representatives.

“The most interesting aspect of this project is that, although it is advocacy-based,  it targets adolescents and young people. Nevertheless, this age group may face unique challenges and barriers. They also have hopes, dreams and opportunities. Given their untapped potential, they need our support to stand on their own and get them empowered to realize their dreams. I suppose this is exactly what the project intends to achieve in the long-term. We have heard impressive testimonies from youth champions, who, despite facing challenges during their advocacy work, remain positive about the roles they play.Let’s find out more from the ASRH budget analysis study findings that DSW has disseminated, and let DSW provide evidence-based solutions to the challenges faced by young people, whether in terms of ASRH budget issues or other needs. Based on these findings, we encourage DSW to hold further discussions with us to develop comprehensive strategies for addressing the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of our young people,”,” says Hon. Negere Lencho (PhD), Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee.

In his concluding remarks, Feyera thanked everyone who took the time to attend the workshop, particularly the senior decision makers from the Ethiopian parliament, for their continued engagement. He reminded them that a high-level advocacy meeting with the parliamentarian caucus will be held before the end of June as part of the project’s final major activity following this close out workshop.  

After the close out workshop ended, a plenary session involving four panellists representing DSW Ethiopia, youth champions and a parliamentarian continued. This session was hosted by the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, a state-owned mainstream television channel. As part of the planned media activity, a 30-minute roundtable discussion with the panelists was filmed and excerpted for streaming in the evening primetime slot.  

Youth for Health is a three-year advocacy-based intervention which is set to conclude on 30 June 2025. The project was financially and technically supported by the European Union. The country programme in Ethiopia involved three implementing partners:  DSW, MSI and YNSD. Together, they have combined their expertise and efforts to implement the Y4H project.